This newsletter is distributed to anyone selling in a Slivers-Of-Time
marketplace. Also, to those waiting for a market to start in their area who have registered at www.sliversoftime.com
It will keep you posted on developments in this exciting new way of working. |
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IN THIS ISSUE |
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WAITING FOR SLIVERS: EASING BACK TO WORK
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SLIVERS FUTURES: COUNCILS AS CORNERSTONES
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TIP: OFFER A CONTRACT
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CASE STUDY: POSTERING THE BOROUGH | |
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WAITING FOR SLIVERS: |
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Easing Back to Work |
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Alf: Knees Working |
“Slivers is ideal, just ideal” says Alf East from Leeds. Alf, who’s 56, has been on Incapacity Benefit since having major surgery to restructure both his knees. One leg had to be operated on twice after a hospital infection took hold. For two months after surgery, he was immobile. Then he had to learn to walk again, first on crutches, then sticks. “The recovery was a rollercoaster” says Alf, “but I knew I wanted to get back into work at some point”.
Alf’s worked as a carpenter/joiner since leaving school at 15. But, with limited use of his legs, working on a building site is no longer an option. He’s taken several IT courses over the last twelve months and has now reached the point where he can do small amounts of work. Fortunately he found Slivers. “My first booking was with Leeds City Council’s housing department” he explains. “They were doing a survey to measure the energy efficiency of their properties. They booked two of us for 2 days to ask residents about their heating and hot water systems.”
Alf’s fellow Slivers seller on the booking was also on Incapacity Benefit and keen to get off it. “We really hit it off and enjoyed the work” he says. Further bookings on the project followed. Now Alf [Bookings: 5, Hours Sold: 65, Buyers: 1] is increasing his Slivers activities. A Housing Association is about to start booking him when they have a vacated property to be checked over: they’ll discover he has a lifetime of building expertise to draw on.
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SLIVERS FUTURES: |
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Councils as cornerstones |
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Slivers planning: Kirklees
session |
“Slivers-of-Time Working can start anywhere there is a supportive first employer.” We say it all the time. Councils make the perfect launch employers. They have all sorts of work that is better done the Slivers way. So we’re always glad to see a Council taking a detailed view of how they – and the local labour market – can benefit from Slivers. That requires buy-in from dozens of buying managers, which takes time.
This week Kirklees Council (which covers the Huddersfield area in West Yorkshire) convened over 20 managers to talk Slivers. The star guest was Lorna Thompson from Leeds City Council. She launched Slivers for the city 9 months ago. So how could Kirklees’ buying power be used to kick-start this new way of working for local people?
One manager already knew the answer: a resident outreach campaign had to be completed on a tight budget to short deadlines. Another was struggling with a shortage of Road Crossing Patrols (Lollipop Ladies). Top-up office staff and call centre agents were also an issue. The session was organised by Ros Jones, Head of HR. “I’ve had some very positive feedback” she told us afterwards.
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TIP: |
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Offer a contract |
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Cartoon by Shamima Aktar Koli, Slivers-of-Time seller
[Bookings: 86, Hours Sold: 313, Buyers: 4] |
Looking for very flexible staff, but need people who’ll agree to a fixed pay rate? Offer that rate, and any attached conditions, to Slivers-of-Time sellers. Those that accept can then be booked flexibly in the future. |
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CASE STUDY: |
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Postering the borough |
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| Posting: Slivers sellers distribute posters in Newham |
Residents of London Borough of Newham like to party. Their council likes to help, so long as the partying gets some key messages out to the community. Through the year, Newham Council runs a variety of free events. Slivers sellers play a key role in making sure residents know that they’re happening.
The latest event is the Mayor’s Town Show on 12/13th July. It uses music, tea-dancing and a Big Top in the park to promote community involvement as well as recycling, fostering and adoption. Kay Newberry is the Council’s Merchandising Manager charged with making residents aware of the show.
“I remember using Slivers sellers to raise awareness of local elections” says Kay. “Apart from our usual publicity channels, a priority for the show was getting posters up in local shops.” Three sellers were deployed for a day, going into independent retailers and asking for permission to put up a poster for a couple of weeks. “Not everyone can do that work” Kay points out. “You need people skills, good organisation and a lot of enthusiasm.”
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July 2008
Published on the last Friday of the month |
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Slivers-of-Time Working: the basics
Marketplaces for Slivers-of-Time are for:
who wants to work around other things in their life, such as:
-childcare
-studying
-part-time work
-caring for adult
-medical commitments
- Organisations who need top-up workers at short notice, for short periods:
-councils
-caterers
-retailers
-logistics supplier
Benefits:
- Sellers: do whatever odd hours of work they want and quickly build skills, experience and a track record they can print at any time.
- Buyers: access a self-selecting pool of local people who choose to work in a way that demands flexibility and rewards reliability.
Signing up:
Anyone who wants to know when a market-place is starting in their area should enter their details at:
www.sliversoftime.com
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