Archive for February, 2012

EveryChild is an international development charity that works to stop children growing up vulnerable and alone.

Working with local partners they keep children safe when they are alone and at risk. They protect children in danger of ending up on their own by keeping families together. They also get children back to a safe and caring family, wherever they can.

Everychild are the latest charitable organisation to implement Cascade’s award winning HR software.

Cascade’s core HR solution will provide Everychild with a huge amount of standard functionality and key features such as Attendance and Holiday Management, Organisational Charts, Reporting and a whole host of other features.

From Cascade’s vast range of flexible modules, Everychild will also implement Self Service and Workflow.

Upon implementation of Cascade, Everychild will experience a range of benefits such as vastly improved employee engagement and comprehensive employee records, through Cascade’s unique system designer feature.

Supported by a dedicated Project Manager and committed Client Services team will ensure Cascade is configured to Everychild’s requirements and business objectives.

Cascade continues to expand its client base with over 350 clients across a variety of sectors and organisations, helping to maintain its status, as the number one .NET HR and HMRC Standard Payroll provider.

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Demelza Hospice Care is the latest hospice to implement Cascade’s .NET HR software.

Demelza Hospice Care for Children provides respite care, short breaks, symptom control and end of life care for children and young people with life limited and life threatening conditions including those having treatment for cancer.

Their philosophy supports looking after families including siblings, by recognising each individual family members needs. They work alongside statutory providers in delivering a quality service.

They have two hospices and a community team supporting children, young people and families in Kent, South East London and East Sussex.

Their service comprises of a multi disciplinary team which covers all aspects of care, provided by nurses, carers, family support workers, counsellors and therapists.

Cascade’s core HR solution will provide Demelza with a huge amount of standard functionality and key features such as Attendance and Holiday Management, Organisational Charts, Reporting and a whole host of other features. Demelza will also implement our Self Service, Workflow, Recruitment and Training module.

Cascade’s Recruitment module delivers a comprehensive and powerful recruitment solution which will help Demelza reduce administration and ensure best practice is followed, whilst maximising their opportunity to recruit the very best staff available.

Upon implementation of Cascade, Demelza will experience a range of benefits such as vastly improved employee engagement and comprehensive employee records, through Cascade’s unique system designer feature.

Cascade’s Training module has also been designed to cut down on administration whilst providing open channels of communication with the workforce. The module will also help Demelza motivate their employees to put their newfound skills into practice.

Cascade continues to expand its client base with over 350 clients across a variety of sectors, including hospices such as Demelza, St Andrew’s, St Gemma’s and St Barnaba’s Hospice, helping to maintain its status as the number one .NET HR and HMRC Standard Payroll provider.

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Cascade HR’s software development manager Steve Patterson considers recent European Commission proposals that indicate the potential need for organisations to employ an assigned data protection officer…

“Last week Personnel Today reported that under reforms proposed by the European Commission, organisations employing over 250 staff will need to assign a data protection officer to ensure the security of staff and customers’ personal information.

It is anticipated that if agreed by the end of 2012 this requirement – plus the formation of a single set of data protection laws to replace the often contradictory rules followed by member states – will heighten the level of legislative clarity surrounding the topic and will increase the accountability of European organisations that process data.

There’s no denying that data protection is certainly a hot topic at the moment, but we must wait until the Commission, European Parliament and European Council agree a framework later in the year for final details about the reform.

In the meantime, the importance of a considered and robust approach to data security cannot be underestimated. At Cascade, we take our responsibility for ensuring the privacy of potentially sensitive client information and the protection of this data from loss, very seriously.

Time and again new clients or new self service users of our software will ask us about our approach to data protection, but we don’t shy away from their questions. A dedication to data security is culturally embedded into our organisation – something that is perhaps reflected in our recent achievement of Microsoft Gold partner status for our cloud solution – and we are always happy to explain the safety and security of our technology and our overall business approach. The Cascade team is even trained in disaster recovery, which means we are equipped with the skills to deal with the after-effects of a major data centre loss which could happen following a large server fire for example.

Not every organisation’s approach to data protection will be so multi-faceted, but we would recommend that the need to keep sensitive information private and secure is understood and respected by all staff within any company. The employment of an assigned data protection officer may help, but so too does a system that allows individuals to control their own personal data safely.”

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Bristol Water supplies 300 million litres of drinking water to over 1 million customers in a 1,000-square-mile (2,600 km2) area centred on Bristol, England. It is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991.

The company was formerly known as Bristol Waterworks Company, which was formed on 16 July 1846 by an Act of Parliament and is now part of the Spanish Grupo Agbar.

Bristol Water are the latest organisation to implement Cascade’s award winning HR software which uses the very latest Microsoft .NET technology.

In addition to our core HR module which includes key features such as attendance and holiday management, organisational charts, organisational explorer and a whole host of other features, Bristol Water will implement a vast range of our flexible, intuitive modules; Self Service, Workflow, Cascade Mobile, Expenses, Training, Recruitment, Online Recruitment, Self Service Timesheets as well as our HMRC standard Payroll module, which together will assist Bristol Water in achieving its business objectives.

Our Self Service module will encourage employee engagement and give managers more control over their employee attendance.

Cascade introduces workflows, best practice workflows and authorisation routes to ensure efficiency and guarantee no task is left incomplete. Whatever flow of work you need to manage, Cascade is flexible and intuitive and will provide the ideal workflow solution. The ability to customise this will benefit and support Bristol Water’s own processes.

Bristol Water will also experience a range of benefits from Cascade’s Payroll module such as simplifying and standardising their payroll processes. Full integration means that payslips can be displayed online for Self Service users and that double keying is eliminated. Checks and measures are user definable and ensure that you can authorise changes you want to and allow other changes to process automatically.

Throughout implementation Bristol Water will be supported by our experienced project team which includes a dedicated Prince 2 qualified project manager, project consultants and trainers who will ensure Cascade is configured to meet the needs of Bristol Water and ensure they are getting the most out of their system.

Bristol Water join Cascade’s client base which is now in excess of 350 across a variety of sectors including Legal, Housing, Retail, Construction, Education and more!

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By Donna Larvin, HR manager at Cascade HR.

“At the start of the month the CIPD published an incredibly interesting audit which looked at how the world of work has changed in Britain since 1952, the year the Queen commenced her reign.

As a HR professional it’s perhaps inevitable that I would be particularly curious about how the nation’s employment has evolved. But it’s only when you take the time to digest the report’s findings that you realise just how fascinating the facts really are. It’s easy to forget how much employment shapes our society.

One thing we should never neglect though is just how important the effective management of our workforce is. So many things have changed within employment for the better, yet we are faced with new issues and trends that present fresh challenges to overcome.

Britain on the whole is working much smarter, something no doubt aided by technological advancements and the ability to empower individuals and provide autonomy. Technology has also made it easier to adopt differing employment patterns, which has perhaps contributed to the increasing number of people now working part time hours or from home.

However it is reported that only a small number of employees would go the extra mile for their employer, so there is work to be done in heightening workplace morale. Stress levels have also risen which shows the need for line managers to remain in close communication with their teams to uncover the root causes of increasing pressures, and investigate solutions and manage absences accordingly.

It is important to make use of help – for example grants, training initiatives, apprentice schemes or technology systems – where available, because the world of work appears to have become so much more complex. Increased prosperity and productivity does not mean the abolition of inequality, unhappiness or unemployment so the eye can never come off the ball when managing what is our greatest asset.”

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IMS Research is a leading independent supplier of market research and consultancy to the global electronics industry. They offer syndicated market studies, bespoke client research and consultancy services. From wireless communications to consumer and security, they help their clients better understand markets and shape strategies.

Supported by a strong and proven track record, they work with clients in over 50 countries. Innovative and dynamic, they continue to seek out new ways to develop and meet their clients’ needs.

IMS Research is the latest organisation to start using Cascade’s award winning HR software, which has a proven track record with over 350 clients.

Cascade will implement its innovative HR software, developed using the very latest Microsoft .NET technology, which has been designed from the outset to span a whole organisation and not just provide functionality for HR departments. It has also been developed to engage employees and managers throughout an organisation to ensure best practice, efficiency and open communication.

The removal of paperwork and desktop delivery of actions and decisions, without any need for searching or technical expertise, has transformed the way that more than 350 Cascade clients manage their staff.

IMS Research will implement the following combination of fully integrated, flexible modules; HR, Self Service, Workflow and Training, backed with key functionality such as reporting and analysis features and integrated organisational charting.

This will provide a comprehensive technical foundation to IMS Research’s HR functions, as well as allowing managers to effectively communicate with their employees.

Cascade’s Training module will enable IMS Research to accurately measure their return on investment, in the shape of on-going workplace evaluation. This will allow them to see just how training has changed the individual’s ability to carry out their role and motivate people to put their newfound skills into practice.

Cascade look forward to working with IMS Research who join Cascade’s growing client base which covers a variety of sectors, from market research experts IMS Research to premier league football club Manchester City and educational organisation National College.

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2012 doesn’t just represent a significant milestone for the Queen and Britain’s hosting of the Olympics – it is also the year that Cascade celebrates 20 successful years of business.

Alan Jones, Cascade HR, Managing Director reflects, “If we look back at how far we have come, how much our reputation has grown, and how our technology has continued to innovate the industry, there’s a lot to be proud of. But as much as our 20th birthday signifies how well established we are within the HR and payroll software arena, this isn’t just a time for reflection. Because if we look ahead at what we’ve got in the pipeline for the company, we can’t help but get incredibly excited about the next 20 years too.

There’s so many things planned for the next 12 months alone, we’ll be 21 before we know it! Keep in touch with the Cascade team via our website, our Twitter, by seeing us at leading industry events, or by coming to the offices to say hello. And find out for yourself just what is in store for Cascade in 2012 and what exciting things are planned for clients – after all they are at the heart of everything we do.

Long may our organic and independent growth continue, and a huge thank you to everyone who has played a part in helping us reach our 20th birthday.”

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Alwen Hough Johnson (AHJ) is an independent privately-owned broking company transacting reinsurance and insurance business from across the world. Over the past four decades they have established themselves as a company which provides a high quality service – advice, analysis, placement and administration – delivered in a friendly but professional manner by teams of the highest calibre with a proven track record as market leaders in their chosen sectors.

They are headquartered in London and are proud of their close connections with the Lloyd’s market with its record of delivering innovative solutions to meet insurance and reinsurance needs wherever they arise. They also trade with reinsurers across the global landscape, accessing capacity from London, Bermuda, Europe and, increasingly the Far East, amongst other markets.

As a company they take great care of their clients and also take great care to run a healthy business with strong solvency and no debt, an ethos which is mirrored by Cascade HR.

AHJ is the latest organisation to start using Cascade’s award winning HR software.

Cascade will implement its innovative HR software, developed using the very latest Microsoft .NET technology, which has been designed from the outset to span a whole organisation and not just provide functionality for HR departments. It has also been developed to engage employees and managers throughout an organisation to ensure best practice, efficiency and open communication.

The removal of paperwork and desktop delivery of actions and decisions, without any need for searching or technical expertise, has transformed the way that more than 340 Cascade clients manage their staff.

AHJ will implement the following combination of fully integrated, flexible modules; HR, Self Service and Workflow, backed with key functionality such as reporting and analysis features and integrated organisational charting.

This will provide a comprehensive technical foundation to AHJ HR functions, as well as allowing managers to effectively communicate with their employees.

Cascade look forward to working with Alwen Hough Johnson who join Cascade’s growing client base of over 340 clients across a variety of sectors, from independent reinsurance and insurance broker Alwen Hough Johnson to retail firm Hotel Chocolat and educational organisation Kumon Education.

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