Flexible working project launches in Cornwall

A scheme aiming to help small businesses explore the full possibilities of flexible working has launched in the South West. Hopefully the learnings of this trial will lead the way for business to embrace flexible working across the UK.

Businesses across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are being urged to get behind a groundbreaking new scheme that could revolutionise how people work in South West England.

The pilot scheme from actnow, the partnership project that is spearheading the growth of broadband and ICT amongst companies in Cornwall, will work with 50 small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to find out how allowing people to work from home and on the move can improve their productivity. Research by BT in 2005 has shown that flexible working leads to higher levels of staff satisfaction and retention, as well as reducing the need for people to travel to work - resulting in fewer carbon emissions.

The 18-month actnow flex project will work with chosen SMEs from Cornwall and the wider South West region. It is supported by the South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA), BT, Cornwall County Council and Cornwall Enterprise. The project will provide businesses with practical advice, guidance and financial support to improve their productivity by supporting staff who wish to work flexibly or remotely.

Cornwall has been selected to lead the pilot due to the success of the actnow project so far, which is funded by Objective One and led by Cornwall Enterprise. Top class academic research will support the study and lessons learned will be used to inform other flexible working programmes across South West England in the future.

Fabian King, head of Regional ICT at the South West RDA, which has invested £200,873 in the project, said: "Among its many benefits, working flexibly can create job opportunities for people who are not able, for a variety of reasons, to work the traditional 9-5 hours. But it's not just about setting yourself up with a computer and a broadband connection at home. The RDA and its partners have invested heavily in the broadband network across the region, but now it's time for businesses to use the technology effectively to encourage people to think differently about how they work in the future. This is one of the key aims of our ICT strategy and as the most rural of all the English regions, the South West stands to gain greatly from flexible working."

Nigel Ashcroft, actnow project director, said: "Broadband is vital in our drive towards creating a more flexible working environment for employees, enabling people across South West England to conduct business anywhere as efficiently as if they were in the office. It has benefits right across the board - for businesses and their employees as well as environmental and social advantages. We see actnow flex as the first step towards our vision to make Cornwall the flexible working capital of the UK."

Lizzie Beesley, BT regional director for South West England, said: "With high-speed broadband now almost universally available across the South West, flexible working offers a tremendous opportunity for the region. Businesses and organisations of all sizes can reap the benefits. Our research has shown that flexible working is greatly valued by employees and that it is playing a key role in boosting productivity and staff motivation. Communications technology can make a major contribution to effective and productive use of our time - and this is vital not only to gain competitive advantage, but also to help maintain a positive balance in our lives."

If any businesses would like to register their interest in the actnow flex scheme please contact actnow on 0800 800 935 or email info@actnowcornwall.co.uk