The Magazine of Bellwood Prestbury HOW TO GET YOURSELF KIDNAPPED Being in the wrong place at the wrong time isn't that difficult. Bellwood Prestbury’s Security Advisor looks at how not to become a kidnap statistic Culture shock and the four phases your employees need to work through Getting the right medical insurance shouldn't be a lottery Why we are proud to achieve ISO 9001 certification Spring / Summer 2016
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The Magazine of Bellwood Prestbury
HOW TO GET
YOURSELF
KIDNAPPED
Being in the wrong place at the wrong
time isn't that difficult. Bellwood
Prestbury’s Security Advisor looks at
how not to become a kidnap statistic
Culture shock and the four phases
your employees need to work through
Getting the right medical insurance
shouldn't be a lottery
Why we are proud to achieve ISO
9001 certification
Spring / Summer 2016
2
In this issue How to get yourself kidnapped
If you want to get yourself kidnapped, you have a choice, writes Steve McCann,
Bellwood Prestbury’s Security Advisor. There are planned kidnaps and express
(opportunistic) kidnaps with the planned ones making the headlines.
Can you avoid the culture shock?
Individuals are born into pre-defined cultures which, in part, define the individual.
At each stage of development, however, individuals struggle to adjust, even to
their own culture.
Laws you break at your peril in the UAE
Moving to the Gulf is for many a once in a lifetime opportunity. But the culture in
the Gulf is very different to other parts of the world so it is important that you get to
know the “do’s and don’ts” of daily life and avoid finding yourself in trouble.
ISO9001
For the fourth consecutive year Bellwood Prestbury have achieved the
internationally recognised ISO 9001 certification. But what is it and why is it so
important for both global buyers and traders?
Meet Bellwood Prestbury’s head of operations
This month we chat to Simon Shipway, Bellwood Prestbury’s head of operations,
about his life inside and outside the office.
Welcome to another issue of Expatria Magazine
This special edition highlights
the issues facing potential
kidnap threats and what it’s like
to be an Expat.
We also look at Global Liability
insurance and what it means
for your business plus we have
a happy tale from Afghanistan
where one of our clients is
helping to improve the welfare
of animals in Kabul.
EXPATRIA MAGAZINE SPRING / SUMMER EDITION
Bellwood Prestbury is the trading style of Bellwood Prestbury Limited registered in England and Wales as
company number 1100251 Registered Office: 4 Imperial Square, Cheltenham, GL50 1QB, United Kingdom
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
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Expats experience twice as many mental health issues as domestic citizens
In some cases when depression becomes so severe, expats may feel that returning home is their only option.
Expats who have trouble with anxiety stop undertaking activities that they usually enjoy, because it does not give them pleasure anymore. Instead, they stay at home and worry.
Two factors that contribute to mental health issues are homesickness and social isolation.
Expats can experience a lack of support and find it harder to deal with new circumstances, because their relatives and close friends are back home.
Expats who did not have a choice, for example children or partners, are more prone to mental health issues. Children in the adolescence stage find it difficult to get used to a new country.
This period in their life is already difficult, so adding a whole new environment to the mix makes everything even more complicated.
International Private Medical Insurance
Why Expats choose International Health Insurance
Moving abroad can be a stressful process that requires plenty of planning, time
and energy. When becoming an expat, your employees will have to take into
account many factors about their relocation – and healthcare is an essential one.
Having taken the huge step in life to relocate to a new country, it is important to
secure peace of mind in as many aspects of their new life as possible; and
ensuring that healthcare will be available for them and their family is a must.
Have they figured out how the healthcare system works in their adopted country?
How will they, as an expat, gain access to local health services? Have they
considered the possible language barrier, or know what to do in case of a medical
emergency?
As a foreign national, your colleagues may not be entitled to any free or
subsidised healthcare. In some cases, they may need permanent residency
before they can enter the system – and that could take years, so it is important to
consider an expatriate health plan to provide for their healthcare needs from day
one.
International private medical insurance (IPMI) policies usually provide far better
cover and support to expats than those offered by local insurers, with many of the
benefits tailored specifically to suit expatriates.
Local (or sometimes referred to as state) health insurance can be very different to
what most expatriates are used to and can be of limited service for internationally
mobile citizens. Many local plans offer less in terms of medical services than what
is covered under a private plan. For example, it is unlikely they will be covered for
medical evacuation benefits under a local health plan. They may find that cover
does not extend to getting access to the leading local private facilities.
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Moving abroad
is among the most
thrilling experiences
your employees will
ever encounter
Everything is new, and challenging: they must
communicate in a foreign language, every conversation
and each new person they meet adds something to the
experience.
If you felt like you were not living up to your expectations back at home, moving abroad is your time to blossom.
There is of course a dark side to moving abroad and expat life can get you down at times. Cultural displacement,
although a common feature of modern society as more people move abroad, is still pretty hard to get used to.
With it comes questions of national identity and triggers a loss of sense of belonging.
All expats experience these symptoms, more commonly known as “culture shock”; you might
be surprised to discover that the first people to give the syndrome a name were the most
health insurance … after all you will not be away for long and medical issues always happen to someone else, don’t they?
However, if you have an accident or become ill, can you afford the cost of medical treatment? What
happens should you need to be medically evacuated? Will the treating doctor be able to get hold of clean,
uncontaminated blood should an emergency transfusion be needed?
The International Contractors Health Plan answers these questions and provides peace of mind no matter
where in the world you’re working, and assistance is only a phone call away 24 hours a day, seven days a
week.
You will be covered for medical treatment costs and also the expense of an emergency medical evacuation
if it’s needed. The policy is supported by emergency experts who are understanding, sympathetic and
knowledgeable to handle any situation that may arise.
If you are working in a place where you feel a little uncertain about a diagnosis and want a second medical opinion on a proposed treatment plan, you will have access to Best Doctors. They will be able to arrange a review of the medical diagnosis and treatment plan with a world class specialist in a field that relates to your medical condition.
You will also become a member of the Blood Care Foundation. Worryingly, unclean blood is still being used
in operations in many parts of the world, so should you be badly injured and require a blood transfusion,
your membership will provide access to a global network of blood banks, enabling clean uncontaminated
blood to be sent to almost any location in the world within 12-18 hours.
Security, quite rightly, is high on everyone’s agenda at the moment. Therefore, built into the policy is access
to the very latest travel safety tips and advice, and up-to-the-minute information on civil unrest, natural
hazards and travel disruptions from Red24, covering hundreds of countries and cities worldwide.
And on top of all this, if there is a death of a close family member back home whilst on assignment, the plan will even pay for a return flight home.
Kilo Company of 42 Commando Royal Marines arrived in the war-torn town of Now Zad in Helmand
Province of Afghanistan in November 2006. Their mission: to provide stability for the local people
during a period of ever-decreasing security.
Despite what was happening all around them, the Royal Marines soon realised that it wasn’t only the
local people that needed their help. Many of the stray dogs that roamed the town of Now Zad now had
a guardian for the first time in their lives in the form of Royal Marine Sergeant ‘Pen’ Farthing.
Breaking up an organised dog fight taking place right outside their remote compound, Pen never
realised that one of those fighting dogs would then befriend him. He couldn’t say no to those big sad
eyes and the now very former fighting dog became the Royal Marine’s four legged buddy which they
named ‘Nowzad’ after the town where he was rescued.
A year later and the Nowzad charity was born to improve the welfare of animals in Afghanistan,
including humanely reducing the stray dog population which in turn has helped to reduce the incidents
of canine rabies, provide animal welfare education for the Afghan people and develop training
programmes to improve the lives of working animals. The charity operates the only official small
animal clinic and purpose-built facility to provide a safe environment for over a 100 stray dogs, 40 cats
and so far 4 donkeys on the outskirts of Kabul.
Incidentally, it just so happens that ‘Nowzad’ in Farsi actually means ‘New born’, a fitting name for the
first ever animal welfare organisation in Afghanistan.
Nowzad the dog is sadly no longer around having enjoyed a long and comfortable life in Europe but
his inspiration has now helped over 800 soldiers serving in Afghanistan to be reunited back in their
home countries (USA, UK, Canada, Italy, South Africa, Australia, Holland and Germany) with the dogs
or cats they rescued from the front lines of Afghanistan.
The ‘tail’ of the rescue of Nowzad and his other canine buddies from the remote desert outpost of Now
Zad, was published as a best-selling book ‘One Dog at a Time’, which helped to promote and fund the
running of the Nowzad charity.
Bellwood Prestbury are proud to provide and manage the Personal Accident and Life insurance cover
for the Charity’s expatriate team and visiting volunteers.
Pen Farthing, the charity's founder, comments ‘I would like to thank the team at Bellwood Prestbury
for a thorough and professional service, providing the comprehensive cover we need for operating in
Afghanistan but more so for making the application process painless and simple!’.
Our certification can help to benefit your business
For the fourth consecutive year Bellwood Prestbury have achieved the internationally-recognised ISO 9001 certification. But what is it and why is it so important for both global buyers and traders?
ISO 9001 has been in existence for over 20 years and has grown to become a well-respected, internationally-recognised standard. Being awarded ISO 9001 communicates an important, positive message to both the company’s customers and its employees: that it takes itself seriously by striving to be a well-managed and organised business,
focused on delivering efficiencies where possible.
ISO 9001 does improve productivity and increases profitability, as it highlights where businesses can cut costs and reduce waste. ISO 9001 also encourages businesses to implement risk assessments into their processes in order to create an exceptional Quality Management System.
Of course there are huge benefits for customers, both old and new. When making a decision on who to work with or who to purchase from, you can be reassured that a company with ISO 9001 adheres to strict standards and will have been audited by an independent body.
the audit The audit is carried out onsite and will include a thorough check of the company’s quality manual, documents and records plus the following:
Management review process
Review of resources
Review of purchasing procedures and supplier selection process
Review of client satisfaction and continual improvement processes
Review of problem reporting and complaint management
Review of internal audits
Legal compliance – health and safety, risk assessment
Gaining the certificate is the recognised global benchmark for best practice in quality management. Important government tenders and supply chain questionnaires often stipulate that any companies bidding must have ISO 9001, so that procurement teams can be sure they only choose from the best.
Therefore, by successfully achieving ISO 9001 certification, an organisation is able to distinguish itself from its potential competitors, winning new business and retain existing customers.
These extensive benefits are why millions of organisations across the globe have or are implementing the ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard. ISO 9001 also helps workforces know exactly who does what, when they do it and how, saving time and cost by reducing mistakes.
In a client-focused and service-driven world, this is a win-win scenario as ISO 9001 ultimately creates improved levels of customer service whilst creating a more disciplined and efficient working environment.