ARRIVA NORTH WEST AND WALES STRIKES GOLD FOR INVESTORS IN PEOPLE

ARRIVA North West and Wales are celebrating after being announced as the latest Investors In People (IIP) Champion in the North of England thanks to its on going commitment to promoting exceptional business performance.

Part of the UK's leading people management standard, IIP Champions are a prestigious group of role model organisations who contribute to the development and evaluation of the IIP framework by sharing their experience and best practice via open days, presentations and mentoring schemes.

Arriva North West and Wales achieved the acclaimed status having maintained an impressive record of IIP Gold accreditations through annual assessments in areas including learning and development, people management, leadership and management strategies, recognition and reward, involvement and empowerment, performance measurement and continuous improvement.

Anne Hughes, regional HR manager for Arriva North West and Wales, said of the affirmation:- "The Investors in People journey has been a rewarding and inspirational experience. Our journey began back in 2009, corporate status followed in 2011, IIP Bronze award in May 2012 and Gold in 2013. We are delighted to become IIP Champions, and we look forward to promoting and sharing best practice activities whilst continuing to develop and learn within our own company."

IIP Champions are selected from those organisations that achieve Gold recognition with 165 points or more. Less than 6% of IIP organisations achieve Gold status annually.

For further information about Investors In People, please log on to:- investorsinpeople.co.uk. Alternatively, to find out more about Arriva Buses, please visit:- arrivabus.co.uk.

Wirral nurse jailed for £92k tax credits fraud

A Merseyside nurse who lied about her family circumstances to fraudulently claim £92,000 in tax credits to fund holidays to Florida and Dubai was jailed on 17 September 2013.

Cheryl Henwood, 45, of Heswall, increased her tax credits payments by claiming that 1 of her 3 children was severely disabled, and that she was a single parent; when she in fact lived with her husband.

Henwood's lies to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) began in 2004 when she made her 1st tax credits claim. For the next 6 years she renewed the claim saying that her circumstances had not changed. But HMRC investigators discovered that she had been living with her husband throughout that period and that her eldest child was not disabled.

Mike O'Grady, Assistant Director, Criminal Investigation, HMRC, said:- "Cheryl Henwood deliberately lied, knowing that she would get more money if she did so. She didn't care that she was cheating honest tax credits customers who are entitled to enhanced payments because of genuine disability. Our investigators discovered that Henwood and her family had enjoyed holidays in Florida, a Disney cruise and a trip to Dubai. Tax credits fraud isn't a harmless fiddle; it's cheating, pure and simple, and HMRC will not hesitate to use all our investigative skills and powers to track down people like Henwood."

Henwood had denied tax credits fraud, but after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, a unanimous jury found her guilty on 12 counts of fraud on 23 July 2013.

Henwood was sentenced to 12 months jail per count to run concurrently from 17 September 2013. She now faces a confiscation hearing under proceeds of crime legislation as well.