INVESTORS IN PEOPLE ASSESSMENT REPORT. Rodor Housing & Support Limited

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1 INVESTORS IN PEOPLE ASSESSMENT REPORT Rodor Housing & Support Limited Page: 1 of 11

2 Key Information Assessment Type Investors in People Specialist Name First time assessment Sue Long Visit Date 10/2/2014 Assessment Enquiry Number Conclusion ENQ YWTYPH Rodor Housing & Support has demonstrated through assessment interviews with employees that the organisation meets all relevant Evidence Requirements (37) needed for accreditation of the Investors in People Standard. Accreditation as an Investors in People organisation will continue for a period of three years to February 2017, subject to a satisfactory mandatory maintenance and monitoring visit from an Investors in People specialist at a maximum of 18 months from February 2014 see table below. However, the option for an Annual Maintenance Visit (AMV) is recommended to provide more frequent discussions and support for the organisation. Where the AMV option (at 12 months and 24 months after anniversary date) is selected there is no need for the 18 month interaction. The organisation is to be congratulated on meeting 6 additional evidence requirements from the Your Choice section of the framework. Thanks and congratulations I would like to thank everyone at Rodor Housing & Support for their hospitality extended to me during the assessment, and for the openness and honesty of the interviewees which made it both an enjoyable and interesting experience. I would also like to offer my personal congratulations to the team for achieving the high standards required by Investors in People. Milestone Dates Review of Continuous Improvement August 2015 (at latest) Unless annual maintenance visit Plan requested Date of Next Full Assessment By 10 February 2017 Specialist Name: Sue Long Investors in People Specialist 18/2/14 Page: 2 of 11

3 CONTENTS Page Executive Summary 4 Objectives of assessment 4 Feedback against the assessment plan and requirements of the Standard, 6 including strengths and opportunities for improvement: Communications and involvement Leadership and management Learning and development Continuous improvement Appendix 1 Continuous Improvement Plan 10 Appendix 2 Assessment Results Summary 12 Page: 3 of 11

4 Executive summary Rodor Housing & Support was established just over a year ago by Marven Gabula, who has many years` experience in provision of support to young people, and working with Local Authorities in this capacity. His management team are experienced in this sector, and he has recruited people who are willing to learn and acquire relevant qualifications to ensure the provision of a high quality, caring and professional service to young people and the Local Authorities who contract with Rodor. The service is uniquely positioned in that through a sister company, it is possible to let properties appropriate for social housing. There are now advanced plans for a 24 hour assessment unit (16-19yrs) and a children`s home (8-15 yrs), which will strengthen further their position in this market. The strong commitment to nurturing, coaching, support and empowerment which is key to the work with young people is also the bedrock of internal people strategy at Rodor. Whilst working with the Investors in People framework, the company has successfully embedded its communications strategy and processes for PDR and supervisions, as well as drawing up a business plan for 2013/14. This successful accreditation is well deserved. As the organisation continues to grow and diversify, it is important that that management continues to use the framework both core and Your Choice, to maintain performance, staff retention and commitment. Financial/accounting support to the business is currently well provided on a part time basis but management may require a greater level of financial planning and management information as the business grows. Objectives of assessment At our planning meeting, we agreed that Management were seeking feedback and an action plan for improvement against the good practice within the Investors in People framework. In particular, in line with your priorities, the assessment has focussed on the level at which your relatively new team is embracing the purpose, values and strategy of Rodor Housing & Support, alongside your drive for continued improvement and employee development. Therefore the main themes of your assessment were: Communication and involvement Is everybody kept well informed on business aims, values and achievements? Is there sufficient opportunity for consultation and upward feedback? Do people feel involved and understand how they contribute to the success of the organisation as well as impact on costs and efficiencies? Leadership & management. Is there a clear understanding by everyone of the support and guidance they can expect from their manager? Are people provided with effective support and feedback on their performance? To what extent do people feel empowered to take responsibility? Are people motivated through a culture of recognition and value? Learning & development Are people supported to achieve agreed objectives and to address their learning & development? Is learning & development being delivered effectively and efficiently? Continuous improvement How are improvements in the above areas impacting on the performance of the business? Eg flexible skills, progression, improved client feedback, costs savings and efficiencies. Page: 4 of 11

5 What further improvements could be made to the way in which staff are led, managed and involved? We also agreed that 6 additional evidence requirements of the Investors in People Framework would be included, which support some of the focus you requested. Some quotations have been used in this report, but these are not attributed. Page: 5 of 11

6 Communication and involvement (Indicators 1, 3, 5, 6, 7) Strengths and good practice A Team Plan for has been drawn up which covers both key team objectives based on increasing placements and integration with local authorities, as well as objectives which relate to the 5 outcomes of working with the young people (Be Healthy, Stay Safe, Enjoy & Achieve, Make a positive Contribution, Economic Well Being). Employees have a good understanding of the 5 outcomes for young people, and are also aware of the plans to be accredited for delivering training (OCN) to help young people to be more employable, the 24 hours assessment and the children`s residential home. Employees are excited by the new developments and opportunities such as the ASDAN accreditation for training provision, and feel able to contribute their ideas to support these new developments. Employees are kept informed and up to date about the objectives of the organisation and progress, via regular monthly team meetings and weekly updates. The team meetings cover caseloads, training issues, housekeeping, strategic updates and shared good practice on working with young people. It is relatively easy to find out who has the most relevant experience to help in a particular situation. As the support workers are working out in the community a lot of the time, they are able to keep up dated via s, and information which is posted on the noticeboard. The organisation has maintained 100% staff retention in its first year of operation, which suggests sound recruitment processes and effective support and engagement. Support workers believe that they are empowered to deal with most issues, acting at the right moment, with the young people in their case load. They are also encouraged to plan their own time, and how best to use the hours which are allocated to them for each young person. At the team meetings, Marven reminds the team of the strengths of individuals, and encourages the team to pull together, supporting each other. A strong team ethos is developing, which is valued by employees and is encouraging openness and a willingness to share ideas and good practice. The main sense of contribution and job satisfaction for support workers is based around the achievements of the young people with whom they work such as getting a young person who was previously NEET, into college and onto an apprenticeship. Some support workers also recognise that the weekly and monthly reports are appreciated by social workers which is key to gaining further referrals. Everybody pulls together. It is a lovely atmosphere everybody talks to each other I`ve never enjoyed coming to work so much as I do now It`s very obvious that everyone who works here wants the best for the young people It is a good company to work for we support each other Everyone feels free to express themselves Page: 6 of 11

7 We are trying to be professional and unique so they will refer more clients to us. Areas for development and continuous improvement As impact on costs and efficiency should be a responsibility of every employee, it may be helpful to include targets around these areas within the Team Plan, and ensure that they are discussed within Team Meetings and in individual supervisions. During the assessment, there was limited mention of contribution to the organisation by improving efficiencies or saving expenses. Team Meetings could occasionally be broadened to include external agencies for a short slot, both to inform staff and also to build deeper relationships with these agencies. Eg Princes Trust, B`ham LGBT. Leadership and management (Indicators 1, 4, 5, 6, 9) Strengths and good practice The company is only one year old, but is beginning to build a structure for managing people, with an approach to leading and supporting people which is based on openness and support. In many respects, the approach to nurturing and supporting staff is a reflection of the way in which the organisation approaches its work with young people. Managers have a clear understanding of their responsibilities to staff keeping updated on caseloads, checking if people need support or advice, and that progress is being made. Staff are mentored by their manager, and provided with opportunities to shadow and learn. The Deputy manager is a trained counsellor, and is now accessing NVQ L5 (Leadership). The on call system means that staff can always call a manager if they have a problem, and there is a sense that the senior team are always available to people if they need advice or support. For lone working, staff inform the office before and after they go into client premises. Senior managers check with the young people and social workers that they are happy with the service they are receiving, and will feed this back to the support workers. Staff receive supervisions every 4-6 weeks, and PDRs every 3-6 months. These are 2-way meetings, with an opportunity to share concerns and discuss learning needs. These are also opportunities for feedback and praise. Staff also receive ad hoc s from managers thanking them for their hard work and achievements. Management recognises that staff can find the work with young people emotionally stressful, and work hard to support them accordingly. Occasionally, the team meeting will be held at Starbucks, or someone will receive a special thanks for their hard work. There is a realistic approach to working hours which will support employees who have outside pressures, and the Team had a lunch together at the end of the year. Staff are also encouraged by having opportunities to progress. For example, through formal qualifications or by shadowing and taking on new responsibilities. It`s those quick little phone calls that make people feel really valued. The company recognises you for the hard work you are doing Page: 7 of 11

8 (About supervisions).. It`s to voice my opinions.. We can say how we feel. Areas for development and continuous improvement Mention was made of a possible Employee of the month award to support employee reward and engagement. In an organisation of this size and nature, it may be more appropriate to consider an ad hoc award (such as Above & Beyond) for anyone who goes the extra mile, and this can even be linked to specific objectives (such as cost saving, outcomes achievement etc). Learning and development (Indicators 2, 3, 5, 8) Strengths and good practice Individual learning needs are identified through PDRs and supervisions, and via case reviews. Company wide learning focuses on mandatory requirements and some strategic needs (such as those required for ASDAN registration). Employees benefit from inhouse learning via coaching and shadowing, on how to deal with developing relationships with young people and achieving outcomes. A team member who was on work experience was provided with knowledge and experience in a range of topics including safeguarding, neglect with young people and families, and sexual exploitation. From a company-wide point of view, many staff have recognised (NVQ) qualifications, and all staff receive training in health & safety, fire safety, first aid, restraining, and safeguarding. Staff understand that training in safeguarding helps them to ensure they work within correct boundaries with young people. As a team, MAPA training needs were identified, and is valued by staff. Some learning (such as equality and diversity) has helped people to understand why policies and procedures are in place and are important to follow. When learning activities have been completed, employees are expected to come in and review how it went, and identify whether further support is required. There was clear evidence that employees who had received training in areas such as sexual exploitation were applying their knowledge in their roles and in looking for cues with the young people they are supporting. Staff confirmed that the training they received gave them the confidence to carry out their roles. Induction for new employees is thorough and effective. Staff have 12 weeks to work through a booklet to help them understand their role. Their progress is regularly checked by a manager. When staff start, they have time to read about the policies, procedures, vision and young person`s welcome pack and they will spend time shadowing others. They are given their first young person to support within quite a short time, but with full support available. It gives you a great picture of what Rodor wants to provide for the young people Continuous improvement (Indicators 9, 10) Strengths and good practice Managers review performance on a case by case basis, and this can provide useful feedback to staff. When training has been undertaken, a record of reflection is completed, which is discussed in supervision, and helps to embed the learning. Page: 8 of 11

9 Impact of learning can be evidenced in the achievement of outcomes and the case reviews. Following learning from the Walsall Domestic Violence Forum, staff were able to work with a young person who had experienced dv, and because they understood the impact of dv on the individual, they were able to approach the young person in a different way - one which helps to build resilience. The range of learning which everyone can access is helping the organisation to build up a multifunctional team of people, with shared knowledge and skills, which will support the growth plans for Rodor. In addition to evidence based outcomes, the key measures of success for the organisation are based on income generated by referred contracts (rent and mentoring). Increased referrals are dependant on achievement of outcomes and on positive feedback from social workers and the young people - both of which are determined by the skills, knowledge and commitment of the support workers. Testimonials from young people about the support they receive from Rodor are very powerful, and help to position the organisation in the market. The recent recruitment of a qualified teacher, and her subsequent training will not only enable Rodor to offer educational services within the children`s home, but presents opportunities for additional income streams by delivering training to other providers in the sector. Areas for development and continuous improvement It would be helpful to draw up a skills matrix to demonstrate and monitor the building of knowledge and capability across the team. Page: 9 of 11

10 Appendix 1 Continuous Improvement Plan Business Issue - What Suggested Actions - How Potential Benefit - Why Priority - When Solutions/Support Available - Who Business planning to support all aspects of performance and profitability/sustainability Staff recognition Skills matrix Continue the good practice within the current Team business plan. Consider expanding it to include targets/strategies around efficiency, cost saving, team capabilities etc, in addition to the outcomes required by the contracts. Involve the team in agreeing values and a vision to underpin the plan. Explore with staff though team meetings and within supervisions whether any other approaches to recognise and show value can be deployed. If introducing an award/reward system, consider a more ad hoc Above & Beyond scheme, rather than an Employee of the month which can be divisive. Build up a matrix to record and monitor skills and qualifications. Improved performance. Greater employee awareness of how they can contribute to success and sustainability. Encouragement of ideas on efficiency and improvements. Motivated and engaged employees. An opportunity to celebrate and share success. Maintains control of mandatory requirements, helps to signpost gaps, and can be a powerful demonstration of the team`s capability. Medium Medium High Internal management team, with support from everyone. As part of a regular maintenance visit, your IiP Specialist can provide coaching and advice on business planning, and can signpost to other expert support, such as financial forecasting and information. Internal management team, with support form everyone Internal management, to be reviewed and updated by managers as required. Page: 10 of 11

11 Appendix 2 Assessment results summary The Investors in People Framework The Evidence Requirements The Indicators n/a n/a The number of evidence requirements met is 43 Key: The Core Investors in People Standard Your Choice from the Investors in People Framework Not part of the Investors in People Framework Page: 11 of 11