If you are planning an event, whether you are a corporate or charity event organiser, you must ensure that you have adequate insurance.

Insurance may be needed to cover many different scenarios, including event cancellation, issues involving the venue, such as any potential damage, as well as the health and safety of both spectators and participants.

Different insurance types

Cancellation of the event may arise as a result of unforeseen circumstances, such as extreme weather conditions, in which case insurance that covers event cancellation will be invaluable. Event organisers should note, however, that different policies will cover different weather scenarios so you should carefully compare different policies according to your needs. For example, if you are organising an event in the UK, the most common weather cancellation event covered will be heavy rain.

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It is essential to ensure that you also have public liability insurance, which will cover you in case anyone attending the event is injured. This insurance will also be necessary to cover any damage that may be caused to the venue itself or to any of its contents due to any negligence on your part. Public liability insurance is often a requirement of the venue before they will allow you to hold the event.

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Employers’ liability insurance is also an essential. This will cover you if any employees or volunteers that you have asked to help you with the event make a claim for compensation; for example, due to injury.

For further advice relating specifically to organising charity events, the government provides some useful information at Gov.uk.

Don’t forget that you will need insurance for fundraising events, with many venues requiring a minimum level of cover before letting out spaces to you.

Medical cover

Whilst public liability insurance is increasingly compulsory for event organisers, event medical cover should also be added to your list, as any event with a large crowd should consider having on-site medical provision. This could involve anything from one paramedic to an on-site hospital. Event organisers can find a lot of information on this type of insurance at  event medical cover through outdoormedicalsolutions.co.uk.

When taking out any type of insurance policy it is important to read the small print, and to double-check exactly what you are covered for, and any potentially important exclusions.

The world of education is forever changing; with each new government a raft of legislative amendments make their way on to the statute book. Teachers are charged with new ways to approach learning, and schools have to adhere to a growing list of requirements.

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It is therefore not surprising that what is best for young people within the education system can seem to be sidetracked. Here we take a look at an approach that puts the pupil at the heart of their learning.

The Power of EDI

EDI – or Explicit Direct Instruction – is a form of learning that ensures exceptional lessons – often utilising dry wipe whiteboards for schools to maximise absorption – are available to teachers and when delivered result in higher student attainment.

How EDI Works

EDI works from the premise that every child is primed for learning and with competent lessons can maximise achievement. It provides teachers with a series of strategies and instructional practices in order to do this.

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EDI’s Early Days

EDI is the brain child of John Hollingsworth and Dr Silvia Ybarra and is based on brain research, educational theory, exact instruction and data analysis; struggling students have access to individual help and independent studies are also available.

John is the president and co-founder of DataWORKS and has applied his analytical and presenting skills to the field of education, transforming the lives of teachers and students with his insights into the teaching process.

Lesson Design

Lessons are planned based on the following components:

Learning objectives;
Activating prior knowledge;
Developing concepts;
Skills development;
Relevance of lessons;
Guided practice;
Lesson closure;
Independent studies.

Students are encouraged to use individual whiteboards – available from many outlets, including https://wedgewhiteboards.co.uk – and encouraged to buddy up with another student to aid understanding.

Lesson Delivery

Teachers are required to build in the following into each lesson:

Check understanding amongst students;
Verify students are learning throughout;
Teach by telling;
Develop students’ abilities to solve problems by talking through a subject;
Use physical objects to clarify content.

To conclude, EDI is skill-based with each student actively participating in the learning process. A holistic approach, it is a far cry from previous ‘skill and drill’ teaching techniques and significantly improves achievement for all learners.

Thousands of teachers in several US states, Australia and other countries have been trained in EDI.

Contract management is a difficult thing to master. It is a time-consuming activity fraught with complications that are usually costly one way or another. Whether you are procuring services or goods or delivering the same to a client, the principles of contract management remain the same.

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Training for contract management is rarely provided in advance, and many managers find themselves tasked with contract management with little guidance or support. However, there are some guidelines that you can follow to maximise your efficacy.

Understand the Industry

It is inadvisable to manage a contract when you are unfamiliar with the discipline it relates to. If you are managing contracts outside of your area of expertise, make sure that you become as familiar as possible with the industry itself. There are likely to be specific terms and regulations that you should be aware of. In addition, if bidding for contracts, your prospective client is more likely to view your bid as credible if it is clear you are qualified and experienced in the subject matter.

Understand the Process

Although the nature of contracts varies greatly, they share core principles. Ensure you are familiar with these principles and what actions you may be required to take should problems arise. Very few contracts, particularly long-term contracts, run smoothly all of the time. By being prepared you will improve your efficiency, performance and confidence.

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Your company may utilise a contract management system such as contractswise to aid their internal process. Contract management systems provide support that can be invaluable to your task and other free guidance is available. The National Audit Office offer a PDF download called Good Practice Contract Management Framework.

Exploit Your Support Structure

There may often be staff involved in the contract that can provide technical support to aid your understanding and management. Ensure that you avail yourself of their skills and expertise, and make sure that they are aware of your restrictions and limitations. As always, communication is key.

Consider Certification

There are a number of certifications and training courses available on the subject of contract management, and it can only reflect well on an individual or company that chooses to adopt this route to better improve their performance. In addition, accreditation speaks volumes about your company’s commitment, professionalism and abilities to prospective clients.

In the age of the smartphone, there is an app for everything, so if you are a landlord you might find these top mobile programs useful when it comes to managing your property portfolio.

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The Landlord App

It may not have a funky name, but this app does exactly what it says on the tin and lets you stay on top of most aspects of the job, from keeping tabs on rent payments and expenses to scheduling important events. Since all of this information is easy to export to a PC, it is also flexible and convenient, even if the buy-to-let era may be on its last legs.

Zoopla

If you want to invest in more property in your area, the best way to get ahead of the game is to install Zoopla’s app on your phone. You can get up-to-the-minute information when homes hit the market and can also check on prior sale prices so that you can stay competitive. Right Move is similarly effective in this respect.

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Inventory Pro

If your properties are fully or partly furnished, keeping an inventory of the contents which is sharable with tenants is vital. This app makes it straightforward, allowing you to add images and videos to create a comprehensive picture of the contents of a house.

This may also help when looking for cheap landlords insurance from sites like https://brokersdirect.co.uk/, as you will get a better idea of how much protection you need.

WhatsApp

You may already be a hardcore user of this popular instant messaging app, but if you are not already, then your tenants definitely will be by this point. You can set up a group message shared by multiple tenants of a single property to make it easier to stay in touch about important issues without having to handle a voice call at an inconvenient time.

Scanbot

With landlords still bombarded by paper documents on a regular basis, this app can make cataloguing every piece of important correspondence much less difficult. Just harness your handset’s built-in camera to capture a digital copy of documents in the file format of your choice.

Frontpoint

If you have a Frontpoint security system installed at your property, then this app will be a huge help, letting you monitor and protect it remotely.