Now We Know How Sinead Navigates Robinson Services Through The Stormy Seas of The Support Services Sector

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At Robinson Services  we employ people from many diverse backgrounds and their hobbies can be just as diverse. So when we sat down with Sinead Sharpe, Human Resources Director for a coffee and chat we found out about Sinead’s role as Navigator with the RNLI Lifeboat Crew operating out of Red Bay in Cushendall. Here’s what we found out and to be honest we were seriously impressed !
When did I join?
I joined the Redbay Lifeboat Crew just over 2 years ago.  My husband has been a member of the crew for about ten years and it was something I was always interested in doing – the time just seemed right.
Why did I join?
I like a challenge, especially if it involves learning new things.  I was impressed with the commitment and selflessness that other crew members seemed to have and it appeared to be a very different and worthwhile thing to do in my spare time.  It was a good opportunity to get to know new people, make new friends and give something back to the local community.  It’s also physically demanding at times, so it’s a good way to maintain a decent fitness level.
 
What is my current role?
At the moment, the station has two different types of search and rescue boat – I have roles, or training plans, as we call them, on both boats.  Our Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) is smaller and holds a crew of 4.  Our All-weather Lifeboat (ALB) holds crew of 6.  I have just completed my ILB crew assessments and completed an ALB Navigator assessment, or passout, at the start of 2019.
What does a Navigator do?
There are 3 ships’ officers roles on the ALB – the Coxwain; the Mechanic and the Navigator.  The Navigator has to make sure that the boat is travelling safely from launch; in other words, you need to plan ahead to avoid any hazards; you need to know what the weather and tide are doing and, considering all of these and more, you need to confirm the directions that the boat needs to take to get to its destination safely.  You are also responsible for planning and communicating search patterns and regularly estimating and recording where the boat is using both computer equipment and nautical paper charts.  Charts become hugely important if the equipment fails!  You need to know the boat’s position at all times – not as easy as it sounds when you’re in rough weather, in the middle of the sea or in thick fog with no visible landmarks.  Simply writing on a chart becomes the hardest thing when you’re strapped tight into your seat and the boat is slamming through waves.
 
What do you find most difficult?
The training takes a lot of commitment and a lot of my spare time is spent on the boat, or studying for my next assessment.  At a personal level, any missing person search is incredibly tough.  Especially when you’re responsible for calculating the search area.  You can’t afford to make any mistakes.
How has your volunteer role helped you in your leadership role with Robinson Services?
Volunteering has taught me a lot!  I’m much better at dealing with pressure situations; I can quickly assess information and make decisions on the spot with a lot more confidence.  I’ve learned to trust and rely on others to do their roles.  Communication is always key.  And I appreciate the importance of team work at a whole different level; especially the need to have a shared, focussed goal.  It brings out the best in everyone around you, not to mention in yourself as a leader.

 

Time to Celebrate Again As Robinson Services Pick Up Another Award at The BICs Annual Awards

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There was plenty to celebrate for Robinson Services at the recent British Institute of Cleaning Science Annual Awards, held for the second year running at Whittlebury Hall in the in the beautiful county of Northamptonshire.

The Awards were preceded by the annual BICSc showcase exhibition, which incorporated talks by industry experts and the latest industry innovations.

At the Gala Ball & Dinner that evening, Robinson Services were awarded the prestigious John Edwards Award; presented each year to the UK Company identified as an Outstanding Corporate Member.  The accolade was made in recognition of the wide commitment Robinson Services makes to the cleaning industry; from promoting careers and career progression to excellent training standards.

David Robinson, Managing Director, Robinson Services commented:

“A huge congratulations to all the team at Robinson Services in receiving this award .This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fantastic job our cleaning operatives do on a daily basis and to acknowledge and appreciate the cleaning industry as a whole. 

At Robinson Services  over the years we have always strived to ensure all our teams are trained to the highest possible standard. Our investment in training ensures we position the company to be considered for such accolades and this success is testimony to this.  Hard work and effort does bring rewards.”

We’ve Made It To The Finals of the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) Awards 2019!

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We are excited to announce that we have made it to the finals of the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) Awards 2019, with three nominations. The awards will take place 26th September 2019 at Whittlebury Hall, Northamptonshire.

Client Commitment to Training Award:

  • Robinson Services at Queens University, Belfast
  • Robinson Services at Buttercrane Shopping Centre, Newry

We have also been nominated for the prestigious John Edwards Award.

We are also proud to announce that four member of our team are finalists in their industry categories for the regional British Institute of Cleaning Science Cleaner of the Year Awards:

Manufacturing:
Eileen Lewis – Robinson Services at Kingspan

Retail:
Catriona Fox – Robinson Services at Charles Hurst

Education:
Elish Dynes – Robinsons at Queens Portaferry
Paulina Lubecki – Robinsons at Queens University Belfast.

Good Luck everyone.

Robinson Services Continue to Grow with The Opening of New Dublin Office

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Robinson Services, one of Northern Ireland’s Fastest growing Support Service Provider with over 2,000 employees and founded by Jim Robinson in 1968, has opened an office in Dublin and will employ initially 100 people. The move is on the back of fast-growing sales in Northern Ireland across the 4 divisions of Cleaning, Security Hygiene and Laundry. The new recruits are part of a plan to hire 250 people in Dublin and the surrounding areas by 2020.

Managing Director David Robinson commented: “We are delighted to expand into this new market and plan to add up to 100 people to our team in Dublin over the next 12 months to support our continued growth, and 200 by 2020. The roles will predominantly be in the Cleaning , Hygiene and Security divisions and already the company has secured over 30 client contracts including Birds Eye and Tayto Park.

The combination of a talented senior management team, a motivated and highly trained workforce, made entry into the Dublin market a natural progression as we scale. We are looking forward to bringing further prestigious local clients on board by demonstrating that proven experience and expertise such as ours can be trusted to deliver in the support services sector.

We look forward to working with our new clients and I would like to thank them for entrusting Robinson Services with their cleaning, security, hygiene and consumable needs and assure them they will receive an extremely high standard of professional care.”

The new Robinson Service office is located at Blanchardstown Corporate Park, Dublin, D15 AKK1, Ireland.

For more information contact Jonathan McKinlay, Group Business Development Director at jonathanm@robinson-services.com

More Success for Robinson Services with ILM Certification As Managers Knock It For Six

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Robinson Services was delighted to celebrate the achievement of six managers who were recently awarded  Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM ) qualifications in leadership & management. Hot on the heels of the start of the Robinson Services NCU Premier League Cricket sponsorship these talented individuals certainly knocked the ILM course for six !

The successful individuals were all awarded with their certificates following successful assessment in a number of management topics.  The qualification was delivered by training partners Training Solutions NI, with topics that were tailored to suit the unique demands of their roles.

Sinead Sharpe, HR Director, commented :
“Our business performance demands that our people managers continuously challenge themselves to grow and develop.  As part of our overall increased investment in training activities, Robinson Services was happy to invest in a globally-recognised qualification for our leaders.  There is no doubt that our people and clients will reap the benefits through enhanced customer service.  Huge congratulations again to those who completed their qualification – the hard work has paid off.”
Pictured left to right:– back row: Bobby Watt , Jacqueline Mitchel , Ryan Quigley , Ruairi McGuigan , front row : Pamela Fullerton , Kirsty Wilson

 

Expectations Are High as Northern Cricket Union Robinson Services Premier League New Season Commences

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The country’s biggest cricket league sponsored by one of the country’s biggest employers. Robinson Services, one of Northern Ireland’s largest Support Services is underway and the competition is high to be crowned champions.
Robinson Services with its Head office in Antrim and other satellite offices in Belfast are now in year 2 of a 3 year sponsorship deal with the Northern Cricket Union’s Premier and Senior Leagues.  Robinson Service also sponsor the awards to players who score a century, take six wickets or perform a hat trick.
This season CIYMS will be hoping its new recruits will be a major boost as they try to retain the title they won last year.
David Robinson Managing Director, Robinson Services had this to say on the start of the season:
“Last year Nigel and all the team at CIYMS were very worthy winners in the first year of our 3 year agreement. We  are very much looking forward to seeing if they can repeat this success this year but as we know everyone wants to beat the champions so they will once again need to bring their ‘A’ game to retain the trophy. . A word of thanks also to everyone at the NCU and president Richard Johnson and we look forward to working with them over the next two years. Let the battle commence!“
Richard Johnson  President, Northern Cricket Union commented further :
“Thank once again to Robinson Services for their fantastic support and David’s  love affair with cricket is well documented and clearly is reflected in his sponsorship deal for the Northern Cricket Union’s premier and senior leagues. We are delighted with this sponsorship and we look forward to seeing David hand the trophy over to our new worthy champions for this season at the end of the Summer.”

It’s Off to London as Bow Street Mall Security Team Win Regional Security Team of The Year in BSIA Awards

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It’s off to London soon for the Bow Street Mall Security Team as they picked up the Regional Winner Award in Northern Ireland  for the BSIA Regional Security Team of the Year.
The security team at Bow Street Mall will represent Robinson Services at this annual awards dinner  The British Security Awards celebrate the achievements made by security officers and teams throughout the UK, as well as acknowledging the career-long contributions made by long-serving industry stalwarts. Industry exemplars are recognised in the following categories: Security Personnel, Security Business, Apprentice Installer, Chairman’s Award and the SaferCash sponsored Bravery Award.
David Robinson Managing Director commented: “ This is the fourth successive year that Robinson Services have been recognised at these awards and these accolades cements our position as a leading provider within the security industry. I would like to congratulate and thank not only our team at Bow Street Mall but all Robinson Services security officers for the professional; diligent and secure service they provide on a daily basis. We wish the team at Bow Street Mall ever success when they represent us at the awards ceremony in London in July. ”

Robinson Services Drive Forward with Another Prestige Marque Showroom Win for The Donnelly Group

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The motto ‘Keep The Business Driving forward’, appears to be proving successful for Robinson Services. As Northern Ireland’s largest family owned new and used vehicle retailer; the Donnelly Group, has confirmed that Robinson Services have won the contract for the 50,000 square foot landmark building in Dungannon, to house the Jaguar Land Rover ( JLR ) range of vehicles.

The Donnelly Group’s partnership with Land Rover dates back to 1981 but the addition of Jaguar adds a nineteenth manufacturer to the Group’s offering. The Dungannon site will be the first and only premium brand outlet anywhere in Mid-Ulster.

As with all new Jaguar Land Rover sites, the interior will be characterised by the use of luxurious materials and high-end furniture. New handover bays will also be created where customers can have their cars revealed to them before driving directly out of the showroom doors. The showroom benefits from a new luxurious lounge-style waiting area complete with a coffee bar and wi-fi, as well as a paint and trim area where customers can browse options for their new vehicle.

David Robinson, Managing Director Robinson Services commented: “We are delighted to add yet another high profile name to our list of satisfied customers within the Motor Sector. The Donnelly Group trust Robinson Services’s, Cleaning Division to provide support services of an exceptionally high standard. We look forward to being of service to The Donnelly Group for many years to come with this prestigious contract support two iconic brands. A word of thanks to all the team at The Donnelly Group for the trust they have placed in us to provide the services required in this landmark showroom! We wish them every success for the future with this investment.”

Time to Announce The Winners of the Robinson Services Cleaning Stores of The Year

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Robinson Services Cleaning staff at key sites across Northern Ireland have been on tender hooks for the past number of months since the shortlist for the Robinson Services Cleaning Store of the Year 2018 were announced from over 1,000 sites that Robinson Services currently manage the cleaning services for throughout the Province.

These awards covering both large and small site categories were nominated by the Operations Managers who continually drive standards of maintenance upwards across each of the sites that they manage.

Once the shortlist was drawn up it was then up to HR Director Sinead Sharpe to personally visit each site over a 3 month period and who then was faced with the difficult task of selecting the winners.

David Robinson, Managing Director at Robinson Services, commented; “Within any sector of Robinson Services it is critical that all staff are trained to the highest standard and our cleaning staff are no exception. Our Operations Managers are to be commended for all their efforts in maintaining standards in every location they manage as they ensure that all of our employees on site, remain of the highest calibre and are recognised as leading service providers within the support services industry. Our employees are our most important asset and considerable time and resources are devoted to training and retaining the right people. We pride ourselves on our training and these awards are positive proof that training yields the positive results we and our customers require.

So without further delay it’s time to offer my hearty congratulations to our diligent cleaning teams at Langford Lodge and at Belfast Metropolitain College, Springvale in the small and large site categories respectively and we were delighted to award the teams their trophies in recognition of their outstanding work and standards achieved at each of these locations. Thanks are also due to all the teams who were nominated and reached the shortlist which was a great achievement in its own right ”

The HR Recognitions Keep on Coming for Robinson Services with CIPD NI HR Awards

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Hot on the heels of Human Resources Director, Sinead Sharpe being awarded a Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) comes more recognition for the HR Division at Robinson Services as they are shortlisted for two categories in the CIPD NI Hr Awards 2019 which celebrates the best in HR and people management in Northern Ireland.

The CIPD NI HR Awards are the most prestigious and highly regarded awards for the HR profession in Northern Ireland. Now in their seventh year the Awards are celebrating the contribution of HR and People Management in business. From Employee Engagement to Organisational Learning and Development the awards celebrate not only innovation and success, but the impact this has on the bottom line too!
With a judging panel consisting of top HR and Business professionals from a range of organisations across the UK the judging criteria ensures only the best entries make the shortlist for 2019.

So it was with a feeling of immense pride in his HR teams that David Robinson, Managing Director, Robinson Services was able to confirm that the HR Division of Robinson Services had been shortlisted in the following 2 categories for this years awards :

Best HR/L&D Team of the Year Sponsored by Ulster University Business School
This award recognises HR and L&D teams for their work within the function and their business partnering with other functions. Entrants should give evidence of clear links between operational and financial performance, metrics and evidence of satisfaction. The entry can include specific projects and also demonstrate the function’s collaborative approach and ability to attract and develop excellent HR in people.

Excellence in HR Leadership Award Sponsored by Worthingtons Solicitors
This award recognises HR leadership that has demonstrated excellence and impact across the organisation to achieve business success. Entrants will highlight their innovative and unique approaches to addressing business issues and providing a sustainable solution that contributes to the success of the organisation.
This entry will illustrate teamwork, a willingness to challenge and a strategic approach to HR/L&D with a quantifiable contribution to organisational achievements. It will demonstrate collaborative working across organisational boundaries along with operational excellence in execution. There can be evidence of upskilling, development and modernisation of HR to align with the needs of the organisation.

David Robinson commented: “We are delighted to receive this recognition for the HR Division headed up by Director Sinead Sharpe and wish to congratulate her and her team for their sterling efforts in making the shortlists for these prestigious awards and wish them every success for the Awards Gala dinner in May when the winners will be announced.”