Navigating the diverse risks inherent in Universities from property challenges to duty of care, should always be your first priority.
The risk of escape of water, fire and flood claims across varied buildings, as well as ensuring the health, wellbeing and experience of staff and students both in the UK and internationally are all risks which need to be managed.
Additional challenges over recent years have included the Covid-19 pandemic, which reshaped the way in which students were taught and resulted in restrictions on international travel. New teaching methods were deployed and the impacts are still being felt in universities today.
War and political instability, as well as rising costs due to inflation and supply chain issues, also bring about further risks to Universities with tuition fee income being fixed.
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I view Griffiths & Armour as a natural extension of the insurance team at the University, always available when needed and often going beyond just placing our insurance policies.
Insurance Manager, University of Liverpool
Griffiths & Armour have a dedicated Higher Education team with extensive experience encompassing the wide breadth of operations, exposures and challenges facing Universities.
This specialist team have undertaken property surveys for more than 10 Universities in recent years, to ensure a true understanding of the operations and risks faced for each of our clients. We have made significant investment in recruiting individuals with varied experience of the sector, as well as specialists within the wider G&A business, and are well versed in the risks that Universities face and approaches to procurement – including frameworks and public sector procurement rules. This, along with our established insurer relationships, means we are ideally placed to support any University with their insurance needs.
The team meet bi-monthly to share experience, knowledge and sector updates which are then shared with clients through our newsletters, regular meetings and sector-specific seminars, helping keep you informed and up to date.
From day 1 they put the work in, providing a plan of action and arranging and conducting surveys to get us in the best possible position for prospective insurers… Aside from the tender and renewal processes our account manager is a godsend, she is so supportive and by our side providing knowledgeable guidance, clearly communicating any points, and getting involved in discussions and meetings with other areas of the University.
Insurance Manager, University of Sheffield
The renewal process felt well managed and less rushed than in the past and the level of communication throughout has helped manage expectations during the process
Director of Legal and Governance, Manchester Metropolitan University
Property Damage/Business Interruption Large owned estates with buildings of various construction materials, uses and occupancy. Risks of loss from fire, escape of water or flood.
Capital Projects Managing risk and issues including modern methods of construction, listed buildings and contract terms and conditions.
Liability Risks Arising from students and staff on campus across large estates. Considerations such as Martyn’s Law and duty of care to students.
Professional Indemnity Competition amongst insurers in this sector is limited following group student action claims and other large one off claims. We have been able to generate interest from competing insurers though the level of engagement we have with our clients to fully understand your specific institution’s risk profile.
Cyber Risks Implementation of online learning technology brings increased risk of cyber crime, which can have devastating consequences.
Travel Risks With universities’ increasing presence overseas and large cohorts of students travelling as part of their degrees, travel insurance can create a significant volume of work for insurance managers.
Clinical Trial Risks These can be complex and high risk despite all of the research and precautions taken. It is therefore vital, and can be regulatory, that there is protection in place for both researchers and participants.
We have benefitted from the excellent risk management support that G&A provide which we are using to improve risk in several key areas. The team are resilient and provide a seamless service which continues during holiday periods. G&A have become a part of the Insurance Team and seem genuinely committed working with us to deliver the best results for the University.
Insurance Manager, University of Nottingham
Griffiths & Armour view the delivery of risk management as integral to our role as an Insurance Broker. Our risk management service is practical, innovative, inclusive to our service and central to what we do. To provide a full range of Risk Management advice and support to our clients, we have invested heavily in both an expert Risk Management Team and the development of an online risk management platform and portal – RMworks.
The Training System provided by RMworks will help any University by offering support to improve the knowledge of individuals across a host of different and diverse topics and issues. These include diversity, safeguarding, travel and wellbeing, providing benefits far beyond traditional insurance and Health & Safety. It also means that we are able to provide wider risk management support than the general advice provided by other brokers.
Property Risk Surveys – Face to face surveys on campus with a dedicated experienced risk manager, including an EML assessment.
Business interruption tool – Development of a specialist tool to support University understanding of this risk.
Input into Construction and Project Specific advice – Expert team available to support and provide insights.
Cyber Risk assessment tool – Specialist application to help Universities understand their risk and exposure.
If you would like to know more about our services or how we can help, get in touch and our team will be in contact shortly.
