Case Study: R Durtnell & Sons Ltd

News

11th June 2009

R Durtnell & Sons Limited is Britain’s oldest building company, dating its existence back to 1591. Indeed, the first house built by John Dartnell and his brother Brian, an oak framed property called Poundsbridge Manor, stands today just outside of Penshurst.

The company has grown over successive generations, evolving into a modern and forward thinking business that still maintains the traditional values of quality, commitment, openness and integrity. With a turnover in excess of £50m and offices based in Kent and Hampshire, the business operates across the South East, providing design and build construction, as well as restoration and refurbishment for both private and public organisations.

CLW began working with R Durtnell & Sons in January 2008, delivering assessment for Level 2 NVQs in plant operations, wood and trowel occupations and painting. Currently, a number of site supervisors and managers are in the process of gaining Level 3 NVQs in Site Supervision.

In addition to NVQ provision, CLW has been booking health and safety touch screen tests and administrating CPCS and CSCS card registrations to ensure that all employees are compliant under the industry schemes.

“Our philosophy is to employ people who will make a difference,” says Durtnell’s Training Administrator, Jenny Hamilton. “We employ over 150 staff and we encourage everyone to continually upgrade their skills, experience and qualifications.”

“Main contractors are insisting on carded workforces so our main aim has been to reach compliancy under CSCS and CPCS. Working with CLW means that we are now over 75 per cent compliant and has ensured that our employees are all at the appropriate level, with up to date health and safety and NVQ accreditation.”

“The CLW team, especially Haylee Morely and Stuart Anderson, are fantastic and very helpful. Whenever I throw a question over to Haylee, she replies straightaway. It all makes the process so much quicker.”

“CLW operates very efficiently, normally getting an NVQ assessor on site within a fortnight from me putting an employee forward. As our workers are moving sites regularly, having CLW respond so quickly is a real benefit and means less administration for me. There’s no time delay.”

“I don’t receive any negative feedback at all from the workforce and I’ve already recommended CLW to our subcontractors. We ask subcontractors what percentage of their workforce is carded and, if this is low, we tell them about CLW.”

“I think the main benefit of working with CLW is that the process is very clear, you get the information you need when you need it and there are no surprises. Always helpful and makes my job that much easier!”

Link: http://www.constructionlearningworld.com/news/2009/06/11/case-study-r-durtnell-sons-ltd/