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The man dubbed the ‘behaviour tsar’ says parents should pay if their children persistently skip lessons. Charlie Taylor pointed out in his report that of the 127,000 penalty notices issued to parents since their introduction in 2004, around half were unpaid or withdrawn. He added: “Recouping the fines through child benefit, along with other changes to the overall system, will strengthen and simplify the system. It would give head teachers the backing they need in getting parents to play their part.” A means of fighting regular absenteeism from school is to install an entry-level attendance recording system from Tensor. PC Clock is a simple computer based booking system that allows pupils or employees to accurately record their own individual clocking data. PC Clock’s analysis module consists of a scaled-down version of Tensor's acclaimed WinTA Lite time and attendance software. With many of the features of WinTA Lite included in PC Clock, it remains the best product on the market for small-scale time and attendance monitoring.  

An independent TV production company has been hit by theft of specialist equipment. The break-in is believed to have taken place at its offices in the north-west of Wales on Saturday (April 14) night. The missing expensive kit contained one tape but no original creative material was lost. The Gwynedd-based company, Cwmni Da, said it expected to rent similar equipment and added that it still aims to hit its production deadlines. Tensor takes a starring role in providing companies with a range of security devices, including Visitor Management Systems (VMS). The computer based network controls, records and monitors the arrivals and departures of an organisation’s visitors and contractors. VMS can print different styles of pass documentation depending on the type of visitor or contractor. These can be produced in advance of a scheduled appointment or impromptu on arrival. Visitor appointments can be pre-booked either directly on the system or through the online Appointment Planner. Thus visitor reception can be handled with minimum fuss.  

Heartless thieves targeted a host of schools during the Easter break. In one of these episodes books and more were ruined by rain because lead roofing was stolen. Most of the books were sodden beyond repair at the Tonyrefail school in South Wales. Headteacher Clair Jones said: “We were squelching along the corridor with some parts of the ceiling fallen down. The staff and children work really hard and to see it ruined is devastating to me as a head.” Biometric scanning is just one security measure which can be installed by Tensor for use in all sorts of public or commercial buildings. All biometric scanners are supplied complete and are ready to accept power and data connections. A biometric scanner adds high security, dermal fingerprint checking to your access control system. Mounted alongside your clocking station, the T3400 can be installed with a new system or retro-fitted to your existing clocking stations. The device has handy illumination for accurate finger placement.  

A new twist in the saga of fuel tanker drivers came yesterday (Wednesday). Driver representatives have rejected a deal aimed at resolving the dispute over working conditions, but say they are not going on strike. It is believed the main sticking points on an agreement are pay and conditions. The Unite union’s Diana Holland said proposals negotiated with company bosses last week did not go far enough, but reassured motorists that they will not go on strike, adding: “Do not panic.” Tensor supplies to all types of businesses clocking systems that provide a highly secure way of monitoring your employees’ time and attendance data. WinTA Lite is designed for smaller companies and handles Time & Attendance, EU Working Time Directive, multiple shifts, flexitime and job costing. The supplied T32xx Clocking Station has an illuminated keypad for ease of text input and use. It works independently of the PC, if the PC is switched off or fails. It has digital outputs to control door locks, wall clocks, etc.  

Police took part in a day-long swoop on metal theft in the Midlands. Officers stopped and checked passing vehicles as part of their clampdown. Metal theft has become a growing problem in the area, as well as nationally, with churches around the Daventry district among the buildings targeted. Police were happy to report that on this occasion they did not see any metal theft-related offences. Nevertheless, they plan on doing a day of action every month at a different location. Tensor’s durable gates are an example of our access control devices and PC-based systems which improve security at a site. Working alongside Tensor’s smart card and access control products, your gate can be used to monitor the throughput of an access control point as well as reporting on staff’s time and attendance. The gates cope with high traffic volumes, and perform to strict security standards and under severe operating conditions. Pictured here are swing gates, one of a number of different styles your organisation can choose from.  

There is more agony for the banking industry with this week’s announcement that 1,400 workers will lose their jobs. The Australian owner of Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks confirmed that it will cut the posts by 2015 following a strategic review of its UK operations. It means 29 of the banks' 73 Financial Solution Centres, which offer services to businesses and better-off individual investors, will be closed down. Nine other centres will be merged with local retail branches around the UK. Tensor can help your organisation make efficiency savings via our time and money-saving time and attendance devices. Contactless smart cards are used to operate time & attendance and access control systems. Our popular cards have no battery, thus offering the prospect of an infinite life, and can be read an infinite number of times. Each smart card reader transmits a 125 KHz frequency field (the electromagnetic field), which is picked up by an aerial in the smart card. This gives a consistent read range.  

Exercise Olympic Guardian is a major exercise being held over the following week to test security for this summer’s Olympic Games. The tests will take place on land, sea and air between today (May 2) and May 10. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: “Support for the Olympic Games will be an important task for defence in 2012 and this exercise is about pushing our people and our systems to the limit to ensure that we are ready for the challenge.” Security experts Tensor can provide access control equipment specially designed to protect sensitive or dangerous areas of your facility. Biometric fingerprint matching access control scanners for your exterior and interior point entry locations plus individual PC and laptop security devices are available. The T4220 is a ‘plug and play’ biometric fingerprint scanner which ensures that your files remain secure. This device is powered by state-of-the-art biometric technology that uses electromagnetic waves to read the fingerprint from below the skin’s surface layer.  

Last week's revolt at a Barclays Bank remuneration meeting put shareholder activism in the spotlight. A new web tool lets individuals complain if they feel executive pay at companies is too high. The letter emailed by the tool urges shareholders to “vote against excessive executive remuneration and rewards for failure this year”. Almost a third of Barclays shareholders voted against the bank's remuneration policies, with strong feelings generated by chief executive Bob Diamond receiving a £1.35m salary and a £2.7m bonus for 2011. Integrated Time & Attendance management systems from Tensor are the best there is at combining the requirements of company rostering and job costing. The WinTA system handles all major hours calculation methods, including different overtime rates and night shifts. The system allows you to create a series of shift premium rules that enable employees to earn bonus payments under special circumstances. The bonus is calculated either as extra hours or monetary amounts and can be included in the export to payroll.  

Network Rail has called for full national legislative reform to stem the tide of cable thefts. In a statement the company said it is investing extra cash to protect routes that are particular prey to thieves. It is urging full reform of the 1964 Scrap Metal Dealers Act to back up its security actions. Network Rail said magistrates should also have “the power to impose restrictions upon, and ultimately enforce the closure of, yards that fail to keep to the law.” For preventing access at road entry points, Tensor’s automatic barriers are also capable of operating alongside any installed control or ticketing systems. Car park barriers are the number one solution for controlling vehicle access to your site’s car park and entry points. Quickly able to recognise and allow or deny access to personnel, Tensor’s numerous barriers cater for all sizes of premises and are highly adaptable. To ensure a problem-free operation, our experienced engineers can install each barrier, individually adjusting it to suit your needs.  

A man and a teenager have been charged following a break-in and art theft at a museum. Various Chinese artefacts were stolen from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge a fortnight ago. Patrick Kiely (28) and a 15-year-old youth, both from London, are due to appear before magistrates. The items, which are thought to be worth millions of pounds, were taken from the museum’s permanent collection in mid-April. Tensor has supplied digital CCTV camera and recording systems to many institutions, businesses and organisations to deter break-ins and to catch criminals when thefts occur. Digital CCTV comprises of a PC based, multi channel video surveillance system that utilises the most advanced compression technologies to bring you the highest picture quality and video performance. Completely upgradable, your network can be expanded quickly and easily by simply installing additional cameras. In addition, you are not restricted to the type of camera you wish to install as the CCTV software is able to support all cameras within our product range.  

A leading insurance firm has lost the vote on executive pay at its annual meeting. Excluding abstentions, the majority of shareholders at Aviva voted against the company’s latest remuneration report. Shareholders are angry at salary levels paid to board members while shares have fallen by more than a quarter during the past year. As a result, group chief executive Andrew Moss has agreed not to take a rise in his pay, which would have put his £960,000 salary above £1 million. A world class system is available from Tensor which deals with all aspects of employee hours, wages and payroll at the workplace. WinTA Enterprise is a top-of-the-range multi site network suited for larger companies. WinTA Enterprise can store up to 2000 employees on a single Time and Attendance clock. Comprehensive working patterns, annualised hours and flexi patterns are some of the features that can be set up. The Export to Payroll function links to Sage, Pegasus, Centrefile, Unipay, Moorepay, and others.

Three men have today (Tuesday) been jailed over a shop robbery. Joseph Junior Mullings, Nathan Walters and Kyle Mullings had all pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to robbery and possession of firearms. The trio were ordered to serve minimum terms of between three and a half years and five years and seven months. The raid by a gang took place last year at a floristry in Manchester. Tensor plc are now offering a free on-site visit by one of our consultants to undertake a basic Security Audit of your organisation’s site. Many companies have been surprised how easy it is for strangers to gain access to their site. Tensor has a lifetime of experience in advising the police, security sensitive organisations, local authorities, utilities and many smaller companies on Access Control and the identification and monitoring of employees and visitors. During an audit our security specialists will advise your firm how to develop a Security Plan that is user-friendly without compromising site security.