AM Support Services

October saw the spark of a new relationship between Ascend Training and AM Support Services.

At Ascend Training we aim to deliver a flawless service whilst catering for our client’s demands and needs with 100% perfection as our target. In order to achieve such successful results we rely greatly on the support and co-operation of the clients themselves.

Since the very start of our collaboration, Ascend have experienced a great deal of input and support from AM ‘Support’ Services. As a result of working so closely together we have created a bespoke, individually specific, fully funded, Facility Management Apprenticeship which we are in the process of rolling out to a total of 72 members of staff so far.

The apprenticeships range from level 2 to level 3 and cover subjects such as; Health and Safety, Customer Services, Security, Cleaning, Waste Management  and Staff Management. The apprenticeships are extremely useful tools, for the learner to aid professional development, for the company as a whole which gains accreditation and for the end customer whose level of service will increase as the industry specific training is provided.

With our access to Governmental funding and our industry specific training team we are not only delivering accredited Facility Management NVQ’s and Diplomas to the AM support team but also Food Hygiene courses for those staff that requires them. This effective working together can be when catering for our client’s needs.

The deliverance of work place training is a challenging task to say the least, even more so in the facility management and waste management industries. We know this first hand due to our experience and expertise in this field, therefore client co-operation is must. The past month has shown a successful and promising start to our partnership together and it’s all thanks to the support which both Ascend and AM Support have shown each other. As in all duo’s it always takes two!

On behalf of Ascend Training we would like to thank all at AM Support Services for their outstanding contribution over the last few months. We look forward to the many months ahead of this flourishing partnership.

Aaron Larkin

Managing Director

Ascend Training

As the cold is now setting in and ice will surely start to form during the build up to Christmas it is important to stay safe whilst driving. Here at AM Support Services we want to help out as much as we can so have listed some tips which have also been approved by the AA.

In some parts of mainland Europe it is a legal requirement for drivers to have 2 sets of tyres: “summer” tyres and “winter” tyres. Winter tyres are not a legal requirement in the UK but action needs to be taken when the roads are icy, so there are some things to consider:

If you live in a remote area and will use your car a lot during the winter months it is worth considering buying winter tyres if you struggle with the conditions.

All season tyres are available which offer a compromise between summer and winter tyres and can be used all year round; these won’t be as good as specialist tyres but are worth considering for the cost implications.

Snow chains can be used in an emergency if there is a layer of snow or ice on the road and can be awkward to fit when it is cold and wet.

If you are considering fitting winter tyres you should contact your insurer to inform them that you are now using winter tyres and make sure they are fitted correctly to avoid accidents.

Always ensure that the tyres you fit are 3mm in tread depth and no less than 2mm and that your tyre pressure is as normal as any lower will affect handling.

Check your vehicle is ready for winter and always carry an emergency kit. Regularly servicing and checking your vehicle is in good running order, before setting out, will reduce your chances of breaking down on the road.   

It's worth making the following checks regularly - and particularly before a long winter journey: 

Check and replace the anti-freeze in the radiator

Make sure your lights are clean and check the bulbs 

Ensure your windscreen is clean (inside and outside) 

Replace the battery if it's not reliable

Your Emergency Kit 

Just gather together the items below and pack in the car at the start of the winter season. You never know when you might need them. Your emergency kit should include:

Ice scraper and de-icer

Torch and spare batteries - or a wind-up torch

Warm clothes and blankets - for you and all passengers

Boots

First aid kit

Jump leads

A shovel

Road atlas

Sunglasses (the glare off snow can be dazzling)

Before each journey in severe weather

Clear any snow and ice from all windows, lights and number plates. Make sure you can see clearly and be seen.

Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged - but don't use while driving.

Take some food and a warm drink in a flask in case you get stuck. Don't forget to take any personal medication too!  

We hope that you found this information to be useful - keep safe!

Recently we have had some very good feedback from our clients CityBlock in Lancaster, who offer student accommodation. The feedback comes from students in the CityBlock 1 and CityBlock 2 locations.

We always like to see feedback from our clients and reward our staff for going the extra mile and being singled out as doing a particularly good job. Below are a few quotes from the complimentary email about the cleaners at the CityBlock 1 and 2 locations:

"Cleaners- they are a pleasure to be around and chat to. They go out of their way to make sure they dont interrupt the tenants living"

"They are highly approachable and really seem to like their job and have a positive attitude- generally a really good representative of CityBlock's values"

"Cleaners- whenever I bumped into them they were always lovely and friendly"

"They were always really helpful if I had any questions and handled everything in a very friendly and professional manner"

We would like to congratulate the cleaners in CityBlock 1 and 2 for their hard work and for being such a good representative for AM Support Services. Well done!

AM Support Services has achieved the highest SIA Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) score in its history.

The score of 126 out of a theoretical maximum of 174 is attributed to AM Support Service's continued investment in employee training, and the development of a software platform that facilitates improved contract management and measurement of performance across key areas to ensure customer satisfaction.

126 places us securely within the top 10% of approved contractors in the country. 

Five years ago, AM Support Services had an ACS score of just 65. Today it holds an ACS score of 126, employs 300 people and has a turnover of £4 million.

Whilst the official ACS report concludes there are no areas where AM Support Services is required to make formal improvements, the improvement options identified will ensure that client and employee satisfaction remains high across our whole organisation.

Very recently we have been trialling a small camera on our shopping centre security teams throughout AM Support Services. 

This camera is another technological measure we have decided to implement into our security team to ensure their safety as well as the public. You can see a few pictures of the camera below which will be fixed onto each member of the shopping centre team's uniform and at the touch of a button can record what is being seen and heard. The reason for this is so that if there is any disturbance at our shopping centre sites the whole incident can be recorded for evidence and reviewing of the action taken and how to prevent this in the future.

We are always looking at ways to combine technology with our services to remain innovative and attentive to our customers and staff. Using these cameras is a way that we can ensure the safety of the public as well as reviewing individual incidents that occur and identifying ways to improve.

We are sure that the trials will be a success and look forward to using them in all aspects of our security locations.

We are delighted to announce that we have a new business development manager, in the form of Eric! We have seen multiple candidates for the position but wanted to make sure we got the right person in to help further improve AM Support Services.

A little bit about Eric... He has over 20 years experience in the security industry with several major security providers. He has gained experience in every area of the "sales process" including the initial client contact, contract mobilisation and after sales service. He has worked mainly in the North of England, an area which we specialise in.

He stated how he has been successful due to maintaining customer relationships and customer service to a high level, something we strongly believe with our customer relationships. We believe that Eric holds the same values and ethics as AM Support and can see him being a huge success for us in the future!

Welcome to AM Support Services Eric!

Hi everybody, as you know from our previous blog posts we were at the Great Places expo at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester yesterday! The event was a great success and we met lots of interesting people who were keen to see what we do. 

There were lots of interesting topics discussed by professionals for all different markets and everybody seemed to get a positive outcome from the event. Our space looked great and we look forward to doing more events like this in the future!

The Cleaning Show is the only major event where companies can market, sell and promote their products and services to an international cleaning audience. Organised every two years by BCCE Ltd, a company jointly owned by the British Cleaning Council and Quartz Business Media.

This is a message to all businesses to be aware of a scam that has been around recently. Businesses have been misled by Fairguide and Expo Guide into thinking they are getting a free catalogue listing but it is too good to be true! It ends up leaving the user tied into a 3 year contract, followed by aggressive debt recovery if the money is not paid.

On 15th September we will be attending the Great Places Expo at The Hilton Hotel in Manchester! 

If you are attending this FREE event you will be able to see Greg O'Brien (Head of our Security department) demonstrating our SoloAdvance technology system with our hands on technology demonstration. Along with everything that AM Support Services has to offer.

At our station we will have two vinyl banners and leaflets available to take away. Also you can enter into our special prize draw with the chance to win a bottle of champagne! Simply just fill out a short questionnaire on the iPad at the desk.

Doors will open at 9:30am with the chance to get refreshments and meet others. With the event officially starting at 11:00am where you will get the chance to listen to guest speakers and enjoy over 25 companies and what they have to offer! Doors will then close at 4:00pm on what should be a very successful event.

We hope to see you there and make sure to check out our section!

Read more on the event here.

AM Support Services have been involved in yet another charity event! We are very proud of all our teams involved in every event we participate in, doing our part for the local community!

On Sunday 20th July 2014 from 10 am until 4 pm The AM Support Security Team along with The Centre Manager did a sponsored charity static Bike ride in Wythenshawe Town Centre to raise money for the Starlight Children’s Ward at Wythenshawe Hospital. The target was 222kms. This was achieved by 2 pm. The team decided to continue riding until the centre closed at 4 pm and in doing so managed to ride a distance of 324 kms. They have so far raised over £1,000. Jeff Jackson the Centre Manager has thanked all those who took part: Mo, Paul, Imran, Ram and Mike. Ram and Paul came in on their days off to take part and Mo led from the front with the 42Kms covered. A commendable effort well done lads!

Here is a breakdown of how much distance everybody managed to get for Team AM:

Mo - 42km

Mike - 32km

Imran - 30km

Ram - 14km

Paul - 3km

Being a cleaning company ,like we are, we are always looking to keep everything nice and clean! Any cleaning contracts for your business, we can help with but what about other things such as keeping the fridge clean? 

Well we are still here to help, using advice from spring cleaning 365. Maybe its your own personal fridge or a company fridge which is starting to smell bad? Don't worry we have you sorted here with some friendly advice on how to clean it which should only take 5-15 mins. 

Our very own Vanessa Kane completed the Moonlight Walk 2014 charity event for St John's Hospice on 14th June! The walk is for women and the route is around the Lancaster and Morecambe areas, starting at midnight!

The work that St John's Hospice do is very important to the local community and it goes without saying that this is a very worthwhile charity. The Moonlight Walk is the biggest event of the year for St John's Hospice, it is also great fun and great exercise! Last year the amount raised was £100,000 and the amount for this years event is still being collected and added up.

She completed the 14k walk and managed to raise £174 in the process from donations which will all go to a great cause. Everyone at AM Support Services are very proud of Vanessa and her efforts, she even received a medal for completing the challenging walk! Well done Vanessa!

We try to improve the carbon footprint of your company, which will in turn save you money! We don't try to sell you everything we have to get more money, we would rather stick to our company values.

We always try to incorporate the latest technologies into our washroom services. We are always looking for ways to be more innovative to improve productivity.

We are one of the select few washroom service providers in the UK to have achieved the three BSI certificates for standards in:

Quality Management (BSI ISO 9001)

Environmental Management (BSI ISO 14001)

Health and Safety Management (BS OHSAS 18001)

    4. You will never know we are there! In washroom services it is important         to offer a discreet and excellent service so that the normal daily work           can be carried out without interruption. We make sure we do not work         at inappropriate times and ensure this through constant                               communication.

A survey, at the end of last year, has suggested that despite the criticism that zero hours contracts has received recently, it seems that people are actually happy with them. 

Zero hours contracts are employment contracts that do not guarantee a certain number of working hours per week. Many more of these types of contracts have been taken up as unemployment is high at the moment. Some people have opted to have multiple contracts of this type in order to have more working hours per week. However, some have made the choice to have a zero hours contract to have a more balanced lifestyle.