Shared Approach INVESTORS IN PEOPLE ASSESSMENT REPORT COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE. INVESTORS IN PEOPLE SPECIALIST: Helen Gisbourne

Transcription

1 INVESTORS IN PEOPLE ASSESSMENT REPORT COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE Shared Approach INVESTORS IN PEOPLE SPECIALIST: Helen Gisbourne DATE: 30 th October 2012 Investors in People North of England is delivered by idg, official partner for the North East, North West and Yorkshire & Humber T: E: W: P: idg, 1 Cardale Park, Harrogate, HG3 1RZ

2 CONTENTS Page number Background 2 Priorities/objectives 2 Methodology 2 Conclusion and recommendation 2 Acknowledgement 2 Executive summary 3 Strengths 4 Feedback against framework 5 Quotations 9 Evidence Matrix 11 Continuous Improvement Plan 12 Page 1

3 BACKGROUND Shared Approach Ltd supports the needs of adults with learning disabilities. The organisation supports clients needs from the age of sixteen onwards including physical, sensory and behavioural disabilities. Clients are supported mainly in houses, which are staffed 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, by dedicated teams. There is also an outreach service which helps people who may live with parents or in their own home. The Senior team at Shared Approach are keen to use the opportunity of external assessment to drive forward business improvement and consider areas within the organisation that can be strengthened. PRIORITIES/OBJECTIVES At the planning meeting it was agreed that the assessment would focus on the following objectives: Page 2 To assess whether Shared Approach continues to meet the Investors in People Standard To give feedback on the appropriate aspects of the Investors in People framework that relates to your objective To effectively introduce an e learning facility for all staff during 2011 and to review To provide feedback on additional areas within the Investors in People framework that you may want to look at further to improve performance METHODOLOGY The evidence gathering exercise consisted of interviews with 20 people including MD, Senior Managers and staff over a two day period. The Assessor was also able to interact informally with people, to observe externally shared information and to participate in the open culture at Shared Approach. In addition to the verbal evidence collected, written and electronic evidence was available prior to and during the site visit. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Having carried out the review process rigorously and in accordance with the guidance for Assessors as stated by UKCES, the assessor is satisfied that Shared Approach continues to meet the requirements of the Investors in People Standard. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The assessor would like to thank everyone involved in the Assessment for their enthusiasm and for genuinely sharing their story. The site visit was extremely inspirational and the Assessor met

4 exceptional people over the two days on site. A special thank you to Vanessa Wherry who planned the Assessment making sure everything ran like clockwork. Assessor: Helen Gisbourne Date: 31st October 2012 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Shared Approach comprises of an exceptional team of individuals who are passionate about providing quality services for people with learning disabilities. The culture that exists is one that embraces everyone who walks through their doors and as a team they have created a welcoming and warm environment for all. Shared Approach provides a supportive environment for both staff and service users and one where individual differences are respected. The team are focussed on raising standards and aiming high to achieve the best results. The approach to leadership is collaborative and inclusive and as a result there is: A clear purpose and vision Clear roles and responsibilities Accepted leadership Effective processes Solid relationships Excellent communication Continual training and self-improvement is at the heart of the business and is a hallmark of the success of the team. Much of the learning is team based and there is a continual process of improvement. Everyone is provided with the opportunity to learn and develop in order to provide the best experience for service users. There is recognition that the current economic climate and political agenda is having and will continue to have an impact on the business at Shared Approach. The leadership team are applying creative thinking and plan to develop a sustainable and robust vision for the future. They are in the process of organising a series of activities that will enable them to clearly identify what action is needed and why. The existing Managing Director plans to step down from his hands on role as MD and Vanessa Wherry will take on the role of MD from 1 st April With Vanessa leading the organisation there is no doubt that this presents the opportunity to review existing strategies and to refresh and develop new and exciting opportunities. Page 3

5 KEY STRENGTHS Culture The culture at Shared Approach is inclusive and no one is excluded or made to feel they have a lessor or greater role to play. There is a sense of calm and order at the offices from which the team operate and there is almost a feeling of home within the environment that has been created. The confidence, non-judgemental stance and commitment of the team clearly impacts on helping service users and ultimately their ability to live independently and improve their life experience. Leadership The Senior team are collaborative and consultative in their leadership style and they ensure everyone is involved in decision making and, where appropriate, this includes service users. There is real ownership of the Vision and Values of the organisation and it must be recognised that the senior team and managers are seen as role models who live and breathe the Values at Shared Approach. Leadership style is based on situation, need and expertise and it is recognised by Leaders and Managers that there are times when a directive, delegating, facilitating or coaching style of leadership is required. Team It must be recognised and celebrated that the team at Shared Approach are a unique and committed team of people. They are passionate about caring for service users and are loyal and genuine in wanting the best for their clients. Learning and development Irrespective of individual s job role everyone can describe how they have been developed since joining Shared Approach. Professional and personal development is at the heart of how we do things around here and staff can describe the opportunities they have experienced. Person Centred Recruitment The person centred approach to recruitment of team members is clearly a significant improvement in the way in which team members are selected. Everyone interviewed by the Assessor could give clear reasons as to how this benefited service users and other team members. E learning Business Plans reflect the introduction of e learning and everyone felt they had been involved in this process through team meetings, supervision, appraisal and informal discussions. Generally it has been received well by most team members and everyone can see there are cost savings to be gained. There is a small percentage of team members who are concerned because they are not computer literate and worry about how they will complete the various components of training required. Staff are also concerned that they may not have the time to complete the training when they are working with service users. Page 4

6 FEEDBACK AGAINST THE KEY THEMES OF THE INVESTORS IN PEOPLE FRAMEWORK INCLUDING SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT Business Strategy There is a clear purpose and vision at Shared Approach which is understood by everyone. Organisational Values are at the heart of how people carry out their job roles and these include caring about service users and colleagues, treating people with dignity and respect, being open and being person centred. People at all levels spontaneously use the values when talking about the company. Everyone is clear about their job role and how this impacts on the delivery of care to service users. There is a business plan that is reviewed annually and this is communicated to everyone through a number of mechanisms verbal, written and electronic. Everyone is involved in developing and delivering the plan at a level that is appropriate to their role. The senior team discuss plans at senior manager meetings and cascade information to other team members. Staff confirm they can input to the plans at team meetings, open door policy, supervision and appraisal. Generally speaking the culture is one which lends itself to staff feeling able to talk to their manager at any time. They also feel able to discuss issues with more senior team members when they visit the offices and especially value the Drop in sessions on Thursday mornings for this very reason. Areas for development: There is a need to strengthen the current business planning process by developing objectives that are SMART and including more detail. Identifying key milestones and monitoring mechanisms will keep performance on track. Also by allocating key leads within the senior team and agreeing who will report back etc. will develop accountability for the Business Plan. It may be useful to group objectives into key areas of development e.g. core business, diversification, innovation and creativity. There is the need to develop a Marketing Strategy that underpins the Business Plan also including and creating key milestones and tracking processes. If Shared Approach wish to develop the range of services they provide to local people then a marketing strategy would support this idea and document how, as a team, they intend to achieve these plans. It would be a useful exercise to step back and review the required skills, knowledge and behaviours required by the team, particularly at a senior level, to drive forward new initiatives. There is the danger in business to assume the skills, knowledge and behaviours that have got us to where we currently are, will be sufficient to take us forward and into the future environment this may not be the case. Involve all team members in the business planning process including the approach to marketing. Capitalise on the wealth of experience and commitment within the wider team to deliver and create business opportunities. Ensure robust evaluation mechanisms are built into business planning process (quantitative and qualitative). Page 5

7 Learning and development strategy The existing learning and development strategy builds capability. This includes a wealth of learning opportunities for staff Apprenticeships, NVQs, ILM courses, H&S, e learning. It is recognised that resources for learning are often tight however Shared Approach recognise if they are to be respected as a leader in their sector then they must grow and develop their people. All staff help to make decisions about their own and their team s learning and development through regular team meetings, Supervision and Appraisal. Individuals are encouraged to lead on key activities and when working with service users, they learn together. Everyone understands that learning and development is key to continuing contractual working relationships with Lancashire County Council and to fulfil the requirements of CQC. Areas for development Whilst the impact of learning is measured by compliance with existing contractual arrangements it may also be useful to begin to develop a more embedded culture of evaluating the impact of learning on business improvement. This would also include evaluating the impact of leadership and management development on delivery of plans etc. The key question to ask is if we are investing in a specific learning activity what do we want the person to do differently as a result, how will this help the team and the organisation to achieve its plans? There is also the opportunity to strengthen everyone s understanding of how learning and development and effective people fulfil Shared Approach s obligations as a business. People Management strategy There is clearly a culture of creating an environment where everyone is included in business development at Shared Approach. The senior team ensure team meetings take place and effective cascade of information to everyone. Minutes of meetings are recorded and shared with those who are unable to attend meetings. There is generally a strong belief that everyone is highly regarded with many people commenting on the support and evident concern that no one is disadvantaged in comparison to others. Areas for development The Assessor did speak to a very small sample who had not received an Appraisal or who had not received any formal management training since being promoted to a management position. It would be useful to ensure all managers manage teams consistently and people are not left out of the loop irrespective of hours worked. A transparent set of management capabilities would inform management activity. It may also be a useful exercise to review investment/costs per head to identify if some staff receive significantly more training than others this includes senior managers. Page 6

8 Leadership and management strategy The capabilities required by leaders and managers are identified in job descriptions and used at the recruitment stage. There is an unwritten yet consistent understanding that managers should provide constructive feedback, carry out supervision/appraisal, identify learning and development etc. for their teams. Most people can describe that their manager carries out what is required to support them. The senior team provide feedback to each other at management team meetings and through informal discussions and one to ones. The key driver for providing feedback is linked to the overall contractual objectives and performance of Shared Approach. Areas for development It would be a useful exercise to formally define leadership and management capabilities for now and the future and to capture those in a simple document that can be shared and understood by everyone. Capabilities would reflect Values and support the aspirations of longer term business plans. Useful challenges and questions may include what do we do well now, what do we need for the future to survive in any ever changing market place? What would a cohesive senior leadership team look like, how would we behave, what would we do differently to what we currently doing, how would we hold each other accountable? How would we give each other timely and constructive feedback? Defined and well understood capabilities would ensure a cohesive senior team that live and breaths the values at Shared Approach. They would inform succession plans, recruitment and selection, retain and motivate staff, provide a basis for discussion at supervision/appraisal and inform leadership and management development programmes. This approach to defining a transparent set of leadership and management capabilities will also support diversity and consistency applied to how we manage people. They would inject energy and passion into what we expect of leaders and managers at Shared Approach. Management effectiveness Most managers can easily describe what they are expected to do to support and develop their team. They act on feedback they have received to improve their people management capabilities. Everyone confirmed they receive constructive and timely feedback through Supervision, Appraisal, team meetings, Joint Staff Group and a relaxed open door culture. Feedback is mostly received individually and informally at supervision and appraisal. Some managers made a point of asking for feedback in these discussions along the lines of what could I be doing better to help you? This has influenced their strategy when managing teams and individuals. Areas for development The Assessor did talk to a very small minority who had not received formal management training and this was a concern for those affected. The Assessor also spoke to a very small minority who had not received an Appraisal. Page 7

9 If we were to develop a set of management capabilities that were a live philosophy and way of working it may be easier to ensure everyone is developed equally when it comes to management capability. Everyone would be clear as to what is expected of them to manage people and all staff would clearly know what to expect of their manager. It may also identify that not all management development needs to be externally provided but can be developed internally by experienced leaders and managers. A simple solution may be developing a robust coaching programme (developing managers as coach or buying in bespoke coaching support). Recognition and reward Everyone feels valued for their contribution to Shared Approach. People feel valued because of the work they do with service users, thanks from senior managers, thanks from colleagues etc. There is no doubt that the unique people at Shared Approach see their job role as a vocation and are deeply rewarded by simply putting so much back into society. Areas for development There is scope to develop the concept of valuing the team and this can be done through very simple interventions. There are plans for a Curry Night and for staff team away days that will provide the perfect opportunity for providing a fun and inexpensive way of thanking people and showing they are valued. Involvement and empowerment Knowledge and information are shared within and across teams through regular meetings. The get together drop in sessions are also valued as an opportunity for staff and service users to meet. People are committed to success and the best care for service users. They are keen to see Shared Approach prosper in what they increasingly recognise is a constantly changing and challenging marketplace. People are proud to take ownership and proud to work at Shared Approach they believe they are the best provider in the Garstang and local geographical area. Everyone is involved in decision making through team meetings, Joint staff group, supervision and appraisal. Learning and development Learning and development is part of the ethos at Shared Approach and an everyday activity. Managers can give many examples of how they support people and help them to grow within their role. Key to all of this is successful and productive Supervision meetings. Everyone can describe the wealth of learning they experience through learning from their manager, learning from colleagues, service users, e learning, external and internal training. The induction procedure appears to work well for everyone and all those relatively new in post could describe how they had learnt about the company and related issues. Page 8

10 Performance management Senior managers and managers are clear that having a positive, capable and motivated workforce has helped it to be the best provider for local service users in the area. They have, and continue to, invest in the workforce and provide a breadth of resources to support learning and development. This includes the recent introduction of e learning. Investment is evaluated by successfully securing contracts and working closely with Lancashire County Council. CQC measurements and monitoring process also provides on-going evaluation of business performance. Success is also measured at team meetings where progress and approaches to care are continually reviewed and improved upon. Areas for development It may be useful to review evaluation mechanisms and consider if there are other ways of measuring the impact of learning on organisational performance. This may be when projects are not linked to the local Council. It may be relevant when the new energised business plan and marketing strategy is rolled out. Continuous improvement Shared Approach strives to develop and there are many examples of business improvements. These include the introduction of the Person Centred Task Group, introduction of Senior Support Workers and much improved communication. In fact everyone commented on how communication has improved since Vanessa took a lead role and how they benefit from receiving timely and current information. Shared Approach also welcomes feedback from external stake holders including the local council and CQC. The Investors in People assessment also provides them with feedback which they embrace within the true spirit of continuous improvement. They are a proactive and dynamic organisation with ambitious plans to grow and meet future challenges head on. The following quotations also provide supporting evidence to demonstrate the excellent practice at Shared Approach: I completed the NEBS award and ILM level 3 e learning is ok but I need some basic computer skills training As a manager you can be wrong The biggest improvement is the introduction of Senior Support Workers This is the best job brilliant people to work for Medication training really raised my awareness of the importance of locking drugs away It s always been good but things are really starting to happen here now She is brilliant at finance and empathetic to the service users Shared Approach wrote to me to say thank you and that meant so much I ve learnt I need to praise people in their role Honestly, I have a fab manager Page 9

11 We are the best here Never stifle enthusiasm The Vision here is about the people we support We learn from each other and everyone is treated equally To see the guys smiling is worth 10 per hour My manager is respectful, thoughtful and caring towards his team We deal with people not pieces of paper They are always respectful of your home life It s about doing things with them not for them Page 10

12 APPENDIX INVESTORS IN PEOPLE FEEDBACK MATRIX Investors in People Indicators ER Page 11

13 Continuous Improvement Plan Shared Approach - October 2012 All of the recommendations below aim to have a direct positive impact on Shared Approach and improve business development Business Issue What Suggested Action(s) How Potential Benefits / Impact of Taking No Action Why Suggested Timescale When Potential Solutions / Support Available Who Improve and develop business planning process Develop a marketing strategy to underpin the business plan Leadership team to take ownership and buy into the key principles of business planning To develop the plan showing SMART targets and key milestones Share and involve wider team to draw on experience and skills etc. Define marketing strategy and how this supports aspirations of longer term business plans Ensure everyone in the team have desired skills knowledge and behaviours to develop plans and achieve objectives Robust vision for future backed up with well thought through plans and strategies Achieve increased business Secure jobs Secure the provision of excellent support for service users in the Garstang and surrounding area Miss opportunities Lose business Lose jobs Lose service users Miss contractual opportunities Senior team Board members i-dg Ltd Investors in People specialist Monitor, evaluate and communicate achievements to teams Leadership & Management Development Re define what is expected by all managers to lead manage and develop staff. Develops leaders and managers in the Shared Approach style Dec 2012 MD, Directors, senior team, Investors in People Specialist Page 12

14 Design document/means of capturing for all managers and staff to see and understand (Management/Staff Charter?) Share and involve team Use as guidance/development tool to inform future requirements of the attitude skills and knowledge required of managers at Shared Approach do existing leaders and managers currently possess all skills knowledge and behaviours required Discuss contents of document at Appraisal and performance management for all those who manage people Link with organisational Principles and Values Ensure capabilities are applied and especially to support challenging and difficult scenarios Develop strong effective leaders Provides clarity on what we expect from managers and inform recruitment and selection and career development Build into development for line managers Ensure capabilities form part of succession planning Provides a framework to ensure consistency across all managers Lack of this information may impact on stability, attracting the right people etc.and succeeding in new areas of business development Consider psychometric profiling to gain deeper understanding of senior team (Belbin, Myers-Briggs, Hogan) Learning and development (linked to evaluation) Further develop ways of measuring the impact of learning and development on the organisation s performance Ensures all learning and development brings a return on investment Page 13

15 May save on budgetary costs Misplaced investment in learning and development Consistency (linked to capable managers and capability document) Agree a policy and approach to a performance management for the leadership team (Appraisal for the Management team). Develop ways of monitoring that everyone irrespective of job role has received an Appraisal Compliance with equal opportunity/diversity legislation Motivated workforce Reduction of risk in workplace (mistakes/stress etc) MD, Directors, Senior Team, i-dg Ltd Consider how to provide management training to all those recruited to manage people Risk, inconsistency, de motivated staff Make sure everyone receives an equal bite of the cherry when it comes to the L&D budget Evaluation (linked to learning and development) Develop robust evaluation methodology that measures both quantitative and qualitative outcomes and performance Improved performance against KPI s. Compliance and completion of contractual obligations Dec 2012 Senior Team and managers Improved learning and development provision Cost savings Missing deadlines and nonperformance issues Page 14

16 Wasting money and training budget Managing stress and health & wellbeing Develop Policy and Approach to managing stress and health & wellbeing Opportunity to celebrate Shared Approach as an excellent employer of choice in the local Garstang area HR, senior team, Investors in People Specialist Potential to improve staff morale, reduce sickness absence, avoid accidents and health & safety risks, retain staff and attract new staff at recruitment stage. Page 15