People: ForHousing; Slater Heelis; Tulway Engineering; Lambert Smith Hampton; Broughton House Veteran Care Village

Sue Dunphy

Sue Dunphy has been appointed as head of building and customer safety at ForHousing.

The progressive landlord, which manages 24,000 homes across the North West, is dedicated to providing quality homes and places. Sue will be leading a team responsible for managing the safety of 17 high-rise buildings – 12 in Salford and five in Knowsley. Her remit also covers the three blocks of a total of 394 homes being built at Dock 5 in Ordsall. Phase 1 of Dock 5 – 121 homes – has just been completed.

The team will take a proactive approach and will work closely with tenants to shape the service provided to them, setting up a new tenant-led building safety forum.

Sue began working in housing at the age of 17 through a youth training scheme. Her career in the sector now spans 35 years – during which she has gained a wide range of experience in a variety of tenant focused roles.

She moved into safety and compliance in 2009 and her most recent role was as strategic lead for health and safety at ForHousing.

Born and bred in Stockbridge Village, Knowsley, Sue plays an active role in the local community. She has been chair of governors at Stockbridge Village Primary School for 25 years and became a governor at Meadow Park Pupil Referral Unit last year.

The creation of Sue’s new role is part of ForHousing’s proactive approach to preparing for the new Building Safety Bill which is due to be implemented (regulated) in 2023.

ForHousing says it takes the safety and wellbeing of tenants extremely seriously. In the aftermath of Grenfell, the organisation was one of the first to install sprinklers in all its high rise buildings to offer extra protection and reassurance to tenants to ensure they felt safe in their homes.

Sue Dunphy said: “I am really proud to have been appointed to this vital new role. At ForHousing we are embracing the changes the Building Safety Bill will bring and see it as an opportunity to increase tenant engagement on high rise safety.

“I’m looking forward to working with my team to actively involve tenants in decision making through the new tenant-led building safety forum we are developing. We want to ensure they are on this journey with us.”

The Building Safety Bill was introduced to give tenants and homeowners more rights, powers and protections following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017. It will ensure an accountable person is responsible for every high rise block in the country.

Colette McKune, ForHousing CEO, said: “We are delighted to appoint Sue to this role. Her background, experience and passion make her the perfect fit for the job. The safety and wellbeing of tenants is our number one priority, and this newly created role is part of our proactive approach to building safety.”

::

North West law firm, Slater Heelis, has welcomed Phil Rimmer as its new head of HR.

Bringing more than 15 years’ experience to the role, Phil will report directly to managing partner, Chris Bishop, and be responsible for more than 180 employees on the Slater Heelis payroll. He will also be leading the firm’s recently established equality, diversity and inclusion committee.

Formerly with Thompson Solicitors, Phil joins the team at a pivotal time for the firm which has recently bolstered its headcount by eight through the acquisition of specialist law firm Towns Needham, creating a new division specialising in faith and charities.

After studying a degree at Leeds Beckett University, Phil returned to his studies at the University of Central Lancashire in 2009 where he became a Chartered HR Practitioner.

Phil Rimmer

Phil said: “Slater Heelis has a fantastic business ethos with a real focus on supporting and nurturing its team and this really attracted me to the role. I am keen to focus and build on this, taking a proactive approach to consolidating the equality, diversity and wellbeing philosophy they embrace, which, in turn, attracts and retains an extremely talented calibre of solicitors.

“We are now looking at how we can further develop internal policies and appraisal procedures with the introduction of new and improved technologies, but also on my radar is to further develop talent management, coaching and succession planning to really shape the team at Slater Heelis for ongoing success as they continue to grow.”

Chris Bishop said: “Phil is a real asset to the team and I am confident that his positive, can-do attitude will achieve great results for us which also showcase just how much HR and employee support is at the heart of what we do.”

Phil will be adopting a hybrid working approach based out of both the Sale and Deansgate offices in his full time role.

::

Knowsley-based national fabrication and engineering group, Tulway, has increased its headcount by 20% across the Liverpool City Region and the North East, with the firm still actively looking to recruit further as it enters into quarter four of 2021.

Recently announcing the acquisition of a prominent 30,000 sq ft fabrication workshop in Middlesbrough and the TUPE transfer of 23 staff members, Tulway has also welcomed seven new recruits in the North East, including welder Thomas Power, technical clerk Mitchell Helm and apprentices James Woods and James Shepherd.

Lucy Ackroyd, who has recently been promoted from North East administrator to North East office manager, Tulway has also taken on senior North East contracts manager Stephen Simpson, with Simpson working in the region for the past two decades.

From left: Denise Lloyd, Carl Harrison, Kevin Tully, Jennifer Tully, Jayne Tully

With Tulway’s Knowsley HQ also expanding significantly during the past year, Carl Harrison, who has been at the company since 2007, has been promoted to North West contracts manager, with Gareth Ellis also appointed as the new accounts manager at the company.

Managing director, Kevin Tully, said: “The ongoing growth of Tulway Engineering across the Liverpool City Region and the North East is testament to our staff members and the hard work and dedication that they have shown throughout the pandemic, which has been highlighted by this flurry of promotions and recruitments. We have invested greatly into both of our sites and I am pleased that this investment has led to job creation, both at a senior and apprenticeship level.”

On the brink of opening a new 20,000 sq ft structural steel workshop in Middlesbrough, Tulway is expecting to take on at least seven new members of staff before the end of the year.

::

Property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) has named Christiaan Flatley as the new head of its Manchester office with immediate effect. Christiaan will lead LSH’s market growth and new business development opportunities across the whole North West region.

Christiaan has more than 25 years’ experience within the North West property market and has been with LSH for in excess of 10 years, most recently leading the valuation division for the Northern region.

At the turn of the year, LSH became a part of Connells Group, the estate agency network and property service provider. LSH will continue to operate as a standalone business but will enjoy the benefits of being part of an enlarged network of more than 15,000 experts.

Christiaan replaces Gayle Taylor as head of LSH’s Manchester office following five-and-a-half years in the role. Gayle will continue to lead LSH’s building consultancy division at national level.

Christiaan Flatley

Christiaan said: “Firstly I would like to thank Gayle for everything she has done for the Manchester office to date and I would like to pay tribute to the leading role that she has had in developing the regional LSH brand.

“We have a great and diverse team in Manchester with some really strong areas of expertise, supported by a particularly good client base and I am delighted to be taking on this new role within LSH.

“Performance over the last 18 months has been exceptional and the period has also given us an opportunity to reflect on our working practices and understand how we can adapt these going forward to ensure LSH remains relevant to our colleagues and clients. The region is a key component to wider business growth going forward and I am very much looking forward to working alongside the team as we enter such an exciting stage of development.”

Gayle Taylor said: “It has been a privilege for me to have been head of office for the past five-and-a-half years where we have had both some enormous successes and challenges, in particular the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

“As we enter what we hope are the final stages of the pandemic, I would like to wish Christiaan every success in the journey that lies ahead.”

::

A former RAF fighter pilot who has nearly 30 years’ experience in the healthcare sector at senior level has joined the board of Broughton House Veteran Care Village as a trustee.

Peter Curtis, 60, served in the RAF between 1984 and 1992. He was stationed in Germany for four years and during the first Gulf War he took part in Operation Granby, the British contribution to the war effort, as an air defence pilot in the Eastern Mediterranean.

After that he was heavily involved in the day-to-day running of his squadron, which comprised 250 personnel and a fleet of F4 Phantom fighter jets. In this role, Peter trained and supervised new fighter crews, commanded foreign detachments of squadron jets and personnel, and organised and delivered training for ground-based aircrew.

After leaving the RAF, Peter embarked on his healthcare career, which has seen him hold director and chief executive posts in the private acute care, social care and mental health sectors.

He is currently the managing director of Ellern Mede, a specialist eating disorder hospital group which employs more than 300 staff. It currently operates three in-patient hospitals and a fourth is due to open in October. Previously, Peter held leadership positions at operators including Gracewell Healthcare, Forest Healthcare, The Portland Hospital for Women and Children – which is the favoured maternity hospital for many royals and celebrities – Capio Healthcare (UK) and BUPA. He holds an MBA from Cranfield University.

Broughton House, in Salford, is currently undergoing a £13m transformation to create the UK’s first Veteran Care Village.

The first stage of the redevelopment was completed in September 2020, when veterans moved into a new three-storey building comprising 32 residential and nursing care beds over two floors.

Peter Curtis

The next stage of the scheme is nearing completion and will feature 32 residential care and residential dementia care beds and six independent living apartments alongside an Armed Forces Support Hub (AFSH).

Broughton House is currently welcoming new residents in line with its expansion – veterans who have served for any period of time in the Armed Forces, as well as their partners.

Peter said he welcomed the opportunity to give something back and that he hopes his experience in the health and social care sectors will help make a positive difference to the charity: “It’s a privilege to be invited to become a trustee of Broughton House and I hope my business experience and knowledge will be useful in supporting the running of the veteran care village,” he said.

“Broughton House is a charity close to my heart and having the opportunity to benefit the residents and staff is greatly satisfying. I am looking forward to contributing for the benefit of our veteran community and everyone connected with Broughton House.

“The redevelopment means it’s a very exciting time to join the board and, in particular, I am looking forward to supporting the AFSH and playing a part in the development of its services for veterans living in the community.”

Commodore Phil Waterhouse, chairman of Broughton House, said: “Peter has tremendous leadership qualities and fantastic relevant knowledge and experience. He’s passionate about healthcare and this, combined with his RAF experience and passion for the veteran community, makes him an ideal addition to our board of trustees as we shape Broughton House for the future.”

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close