INVESTORS IN PEOPLE ASSESSMENT REPORT

for

We Fight Any Claim Limited

Prepared by: Amanda McNamara

Investors in People Assessor

On behalf of: Investors in People Wales Tŷ’r Afon, Bedwas, Caerphilly, CF83 8WT iipops@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Report date: 18th August 2015

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Contents

1. Introduction

2. Assessment Objectives

3. Strengths and Areas of Good Practice

4. Continuous Development Suggestions

5. Outcome

Appendices

Appendix A Overview of Evidence Requirements Met

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1. Introduction

This report has been produced following the Investors in People Assessment of We Fight Any Claim Limited [WFAC], carried out on behalf of Investors in People Wales. The report reflects on the findings of the assessment and highlights areas of good practice identified, in addition to those areas recommended for further development. It was a great pleasure to assess WFAC, covering all evidence requirements from the Framework. The organisation has a very warm and welcoming feel and many staff talked about this during interviews. It certainly is an organisation, which uplifts morale and where all people feel truly valued for their contributions to organisational success. The Assessor was very impressed by the positive attitude displayed by everyone interviewed and their firm commitment to the work of WFAC. Senior Mangers in turn, are fully committed to creating a positive climate, for everyone involved, to work, learn and develop in. WFAC is a fast growing, forward thinking, vibrant business, with motivated and energetic staff; a prestigious claims management company, at the forefront of the PPI Industry. The company has grown by 250 staff in the last 9 months and they are now amongst the biggest employers in South Wales, dealing with over 35,000 customers a month. There is very strong and visionary leadership from the Senior Managers, who really care about their people and the opportunities they provide to help them learn, develop and progress their careers. Senior Managers talked about the developments that have taken place in the last few years; there has been a real change in the cultural landscape of the organisation, which has been a central force in the growth and development of a successful Claims Management Company, which are having increasing influence in the market. Senior Managers and the Board have led with strong vision and unrelenting drive to bring about the necessary changes. Key developments are detailed under the heading of Continuous Improvement in Section 3 of the Report. It was evident that people are now in a position where they really enjoy and take pride in their work and have generally good working relationships with their managers. This includes Management 16, who were described as ‘friendly and visible’. People talked about the high levels of support and encouragement they get from this group of managers. People feel very included and genuinely valued and everyone can see the contribution they make to business success. There are many examples of how people are shining, both as individuals and part of WFAC team. The drive for excellence and quality across all functions is evident and people understand the need for careful monitoring and reporting of this. All staff work with dedication and enjoyment and interviews were full of interesting accounts of success and achievement, generating a wealth of positive evidence. This is a fully inclusive organisation, where the needs of everyone involved matter and suitable opportunities for development are continually sought. Gaby Cocchiara and Danni Jones are thanked for their help in planning the assessment and for their full cooperation at every point of the process. Thanks are also extended to the reception staff, who also assisted in the smooth running of the Assessor’s days on site. Thanks are also given to all the staff that participated in the interviews, for their positive attitude towards being involved. The Assessor is very appreciative of the warm welcome and hospitality given by all, throughout the process.

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2. Assessment Objectives

The following priorities / objectives were agreed during the planning stage of the assessment:

To establish whether the organisation meets the requirements of the Investors in People Core Standard and the selected additional Evidence Requirements from the full Framework, with the goal of achieving Gold accreditation.

To highlight strengths and areas of good practice.

To provide suggestions for continuous improvement. To establish whether the organisation meets the requirements of the Investors in People Core Standard and the selected additional Evidence Requirements from the full Framework with the goal of achieving Gold accreditation.

As a result of all the evidence collected during the review, the Assessor would like to recommend that WFAC be accredited with the Gold Status. WFAC demonstrates a high level of commitment to continually developing all their people development and management processes and it is an organisation which readily deserves to be accredited with the Gold Status. They achieved 180 out of the 196 Evidence Requirements from the full IIP Framework. This level of accreditation demonstrates the exemplary nature of their operations. The MD and Management 16 have worked with drive and determination, to bring about real and meaningful improvements for the company. The Head of Personnel and Recruitment Manager have been leading change using the IiP Framework as a key driver for excellence.

3. Strengths and Areas of Good Practice

Business Strategy

The WFAC business strategy is strongly led from the top but fed by the ideas and contributions of all employees. Staff Briefings, a suite of organisational meetings and a regularly updated ADMS newsfeed ensure that there are plently of formal channels for staff to receive information on company direction and to give their ideas and opinions to inform future planning. Strategic plans are thorough and detailed, based on strong critical thinking and reporting systems from across the business. More recently, the organisation has constitituted a Staff Consultation Forum with representatives from across the organisation. These individuals were nominated by their colleagues and everyone recognises who their representatives are. So far the group have only met three times, so the strategy is new, yet it is clearly having an impact and connecting the staff to the business planning process.

“The Forum is good for promoting interdepartmental working”

The organisation’s Think Tank is another mechanism for two way feedback. The Assessor was shown how this works and there was evidence of plenty of current feedback taking place between staff and Senior Managers. Senior Managers recognise that everyone can contribute to the development of the business and actively encourage staff to give ideas and suggestions, always supporting innovation. The resulting culture is one of support and collaboration.

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“Once a month my Supervisor attends a meeting, he brings back information,

targets and expectations of Senior Managers”

“We get Team Briefings every day, where they lay down expectations, new

challenges and campaign priorties”

Target setting (described by Senior Managers as KPIs) is robust and carefully monitored at Management 16 Meetings, through reviewing the Road to Riches Report and further reported in the Board Pack and discussed at Board meetings. Targets are monitored through the following:

Biannual Performance Reviews, including Career Planning.

Quality Monitoring Feedback.

Call Monitoring.

Weekly Performance Review.

CLEVER Monitoring in Sales.

Weekly / Monthly Management Reviews.

Team Leader bi-montly Performance Reviews with their managers, to look at their own performance and that of their team.

Visual displays on the ‘Wall of Many Graphs’.

As a result of the robust mechanisms in place for setting and reviewing targets, people are very aware of what they need to achieve and what they need to be doing.

“Our team’s current focus is on quality of calls and customer satisfaction” Staff commented on how willing managers are to listen and to adapt plans and approaches, when they are offered different perspectives and good ideas. Strategic planning is also influenced by external factors such as Ministry of Justics [MOJ Audits], Welsh Government requirements for Skills Growth Wales and customer feedback. Regulatory compliance affects all areas of the business Core Values

The unifying vision is strong and people described a sense of feeling part of something bigger than just their role or the team they work in. WFAC has a clear vision, supported by a defined set of Core Values. The Core Values are presented as their PRIDE Values, representing, Passion, Respect, Integrity, Dynamism and Excellence. Although the Values have only been clarified in the last year, many people believe these are the values that have driven behaviour for many years. Senior Managers believe they are fundemental to the approach of staff across all functions of the business. There was consistency in the way they explained the Values when asked, particularly the Values of Passion and Respect. Some people, particularly those with several years experience, fully understood how the Values shape the way they work and could see direct links with Respect and Integrity, to the requirements of Treating Customers Fairly [TCF]. While some people were able to relate to the Values many struggled to describe how they influence the way they are expected to work, whilst acknowledging they had been told about them at Induction.

“I am ‘Passionate’ about my experience of working here, this comes across to the

team”

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“Our Values are very much tied in with the TCF framework”

“In terms of ‘Integrity’, managers’ word is their bond, I have seen it in action”

“We are all connected by the Values”

“Managers try to find your ‘Excellence’”

“There is a lot of ‘Respect’ throughout the company”

“People here are ‘Passionate’ about the charity work we do” It is clear that these Values have always been implicit, but now that they have been clearly defined, they can really be embraced and used to drive the organisation forward. Further suggestions are made later in the report, whilst acknowledging there are already plans in place for ensuring Values form the basis of the revised Induction Training and will also be used as part of management reviews. Social Responsibilities

Social responsibility is fully embedded within the culture of WFAC and clearly linked to business strategy. Everyone understands their own personal responsibilities within the strategy and talked very highly of the MD who drives the company’s activities. The MD was one of the top 5% Just Giving’s fundraisers in 2014, for his charity expedition to Machu Picchu with a fellow colleague. The organisation is widely recognised, both internally and externally, for its commitment to corporate social responsibility [CSR] and the results it is achieving. Their whole vision is about inclusion. The approach focuses on the three strands of CSR: the environment; society; the economy.

Their strategy includes:

High levels of charity donations through a wide variety of fundraising activities.

Nominated Acts of Kindness – a strategy that allows staff to volunteer their services on a Friday to, for example, clean out cages and kennels at a local organisation ‘All Creatures Great and Small’.

Lift Heroes is a new scheme, which encourages car sharing.

Helping people in the local community, for example, a local business, of a similar nature, closed very suddenly. WFAC helped support the employees left with no job and no wage, to actively seek employment. 30 people were offered a position within WFAC. This support has been given in the past with staff from other organisations, facing redundancy.

A Charities Committee has been formed to meet monthly and manage the way the organisation donates its money. They seek feedback from staff on the charities they would like to see the money going to, particularly the funds raised through ‘Dress down Fridays’. The weekly charity is decided via a poll on Think Tank. Examples of charities that WFAC has supported include:

Buying presents for children from a local orphanage, staff donated money and the company matched the amount raised.

Boxes filled and sent to the armed forces, with supplies such as shampoo, deodorant, sweets etc. Staff enjoyed helping to pack the boxes.

Ongoing collection for a food bank in Newport.

Donation of a new snooker table to a hospital.

Sponsorship of a boxing club.

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Managers described how they continually look externally at how they can get involved in projects and initiatives with mutual benefit. Interviewees demonstrated pride in what they do and the way they contribute to society and worthy causes. As part of their evolving strategy they are considering:

Sponsoring a Marie Curie Nurse for a year.

Sponsoring a marquee to be used for events within the local community. Joe Calzaghe is the company’s brand ambassador and helps with charitable events such as a football tournament to raise money for a local cancer charity.

“The charity work we do gives everyone a sense of achievement”

Learning and Development Strategy

There is a detailed and regularly reviewed Learning and Development Policy. The learning strategy is influenced by both internal and external factors, particularly changes to the product / regulations.

“We focus on training from two perspectives, the business need and compliance”

Skills Development

Senior Managers recognise that people are the organisation’s largest financial asset and are fully committed to upskilling, training and developing the whole workforce. Their approach begins with a comprehensive two week induction. The MD wants to position WFAC as an ‘Employer of Choice’ with a strong learning culture; offering employees the opportunity to develop a diverse range of skills while working there. The Senior Team are currently in the process of setting up the Reservist Scheme within WFAC. Staff will be given the opportunity to become a member of the Reserve Armed Forces, making a commitment to train regularly and have a liability to be mobilised for a period of full time military service. Reservists are typically committed to approximately four weeks training a year. Most training is at weekend and evenings, however there is a full two week ‘annual training camp’. Volunteer Reservists should undertake three years training before they are available for mobilisation but could be called upon in emergency situations. The Reservists undergo rigorous training, which develops their transferrable key skills, such as team work and leadership, which can be very beneficial in the workplace. The MD also talked about plans to build a ‘WFAC Academy’ acknowledging that not all staff want to join up as a Reservist to develop their skills and enhance their career prospects. The Academy will allow people to work towards qualifications and develop new skills, in areas outside their defined job role. It has been calculated that the price of recruiting and inducting a new employee is £1200. To invest a further amount of approximately £300 for them to study for a qualification, in a chosen area, fully supported by the company, would be a considerable saving if it ensures the employee’s employment lasts for at least a year. Senior Managers also explained how there may be opportunity to use diverse skills in the business, in different ways, such as holistic skills as part of wellbeing initiatives. One of their new Trainers is a Psychologist and they recognise how her skills may be drawn on to develop and deliver Stress Management Training

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People believe there are equal opportunities to develop within the learning culture of WFAC. They also talked about how people develop within teams; they understand their responsibility for supporting their peers and being generous with their skills and knowledge. There was a lot of praise for the network of support offered by the Trainers, Performance Review Officers [PROs] HR and Recruitment staff. These functions work together to develop a clear learning strategy linked to the overall Business Plan. The aim of the Learning and Development Strategy is to ensure that investment in learning and development is business-led and promotes the high performance culture. Examples of the wide variety of learning intervententions at all levels include:

Attending events.

External training courses.

Buddying up to support learning (a mentoring approach).

Induction Training.

On the job training, coaching and monitoring.

Learning from others in the organisation.

Modular Training.

Trials within other departments. Specific courses described by interviewees includes:

Train the Trainer.

Photoshop.

Excel.

Red Breach Policy.

Workplace Organisational Skills – Level 2.

Business Improvement Skills Diploma Level 2.

Dealing with People.

Feeding back effectively.

Vulnerable Client training.

Sequel programming.

Project Management.

Objection training.

Supervisors Occupational Excellence.

Each line manager is responsible for identifying the learning needs of the members of their team, with the support of PROs, Trainers and the HR staff. The HR Team set overall plans and through the Performance Review process, can look at individual needs in line with organisational priorities. Organisational needs are also analysed via Think Tank focused questions, such as asking what qualifications people may be interested in.

“We all get trained so that we understand how each part of the business works”

“They want to help you develop diverse skills”

“The trainers are good at adapting to you”

“They are brilliant with the training, you never feel isolated”

“You can request learning at any point”

“The skills I have gained by working here have set me up for life”

The organisation is strengthening from the top and there has been a clear focus on the development of leadership skills, this includes both internal and external development of supervisors.

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There were many examples of professional development activities and training that the managers have engaged in. This includes: Recruitment; CIPD; Train the Trainer; Business Improvements Techniques; AAT; Search Engine Optimisation; Team Building (with new teams).

A mentoring approach

Mentoring is a central component of the WFAC’s Learning and Development Strategy. Here it is termed ‘Buddying’. There are many examples of people buddying up for support and personal development. Examples include:

When staff come to the end of training and are out onto the sales floor, they are carefully paired up with a buddy.

When people move department, buddying up is used as a central component of their induction to a new role.

Some managers encourage their staff to take responsibilty for his/her own learning and development to continually improve working practices, but this is an area for development, as many still see something that is arranged for them or identified for them. Most people were unaware of whether they had a personal record of their learning and development achievements. Evaluating learning and development

The impact of learning is measured through a variety of interventions including:

Weekly and monthly reporting of KPIs.

Team debriefs.

Customer feedback.

Post-course Evaluation Forms.

Monitoring sales and quality statistics before and after training.

People were very aware of the impact of team and individual learning and readily gave examples of the impact various interventions have had, for example:

Following TCF training, people now understand the importance of listening to the customers’ wishes.

As a result of the Business Improvement Skills course, one delegate explained how the sales floor introduced visual management aids in the form of wall boards. People are using these visuals to bring about improved performance.

Following Project Management training, one member of staff explained how his team always have the required documents and paperwork to complete.

Following Vulnerable Customer training, agents are more confident to progress with a call. They acknowledge individual needs and fully tailor their approach, slowing down, checking understanding more frequently and looking for alternative ways of saying something.

Celebrating learning achievement

Part of the MD’s approach to developing the dynamic culture, is to value, celebrate and share best practice and success stories. Celebrating achievement encourages further success and is motivating for staff; It creates an infectious culture of improvement. People are recognised at events such as the Summer and Christmas staff parties, training certificates are given out to achievers. Success stories are also published in the newsletter, available to staff on ADMS and the MD often announces achievements during whole floor briefings. One member of staff explained how she had passed her test following new Script Training. This achievement was rewarded with 30 Chorltey Chips.

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Most of the reward and celebration focuses on work performance and the majority of the examples given were by Senior Managers. Recommendations are made at the end of the report on the importance of recognising and celebrating learning and devlopment achievement to further develop the learning culture. Induction

The induction process is very robust and was highly praised by all those interviewed. The Induction Programme is evaluated and improved regularly, based on feedback and results. The induction process is currently being refreshed to improve the way people integrate into the teams and become high performing agents. The Trainers have been heavily involved in the update.

“The Induction was amazing – the best training I have ever had” When people move department they are given structured training when they start their new role, this usually takes place through ‘buddying up’. The same happens for anyone returning to work after an extended period of absence.

People Management Strategy

The organisation ensures that regardless of role or working hours, all staff have the opportunity to receive feedback and appropriate training. Managers aim to make the most of people’s talents and look for opportunities for people to fully utilise their skills, interests and abilities within the organisation. Managers truly value people’s differences; they are committed to capitalising on what is unique about people and to draw on their different perspectives and experience.

Recruitment and Selection

The Senior Managers recognise that it is essential to attract, appoint and retain high performing staff in every department, in order to achieve its vision and strategic targets. The organisation has well-developed and robust processes for recruiting staff internally and externally. They are proud of their open approach to recruitment; giving opportunity to people that may have failed in other work situations or those that have no work experience.

“We help people to build their skills and give them confidence”

“They give people opportunity, even with no experience. They give people a chance

to shine” The organisation has a detailed Recruitment Policy, with a central aim to recruit the most suitable person for each vacancy, based on an assessment free from discrimination and bias. Key aspects for driving the recritment and retention strategy forward include:

A three stage interview process to allow people to flourish (telephone, individual and group interviews)

Comprehensive Induction Programme with effective probation and performance management.

Ensuring all opportunities and offers reach the right people.

A developed reward framework that is addressing issues with retention and talent management and recognises performance.

Conducting Exit Interviews to look at what could have been done to prevent the individual leaving. For example, the Recruitment Team found a spike in people leaving during weeks 1 to 6. They identified that more support was needed on the floor during this period. With additional support now in place, the Recruitment Team has identified more people leaving after 24 weeks, so

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they are looking at qualifications they may offer staff to motivate and engage

them at this point. “We look for patterns and tailor support”

The retention strategy is currently being developed; Senior Managers are currently putting together a package to conduct an initial sales pitch, to give staff the opportunity to sign up as a Reservist with the MOD. The Senior Managers recognise that working for a call centre does not always match personal ambitions and people often move on within 12 months. Giving them the opportunity to learn a trade while working at WFAC is targetted at improving retention. WFAC is also going to work with the MOD to pitch to other call centres. Managers ensure that opportunities for advancement are accessible to everyone and all barriers are minimised. Where staff are unsuccessful at interview, they are given feedback and often offered the opportunity for further training and coaching. For example, three internal candidates were interviewed for the role of Supervisor. They were unsuccessful due to having no practical experience of leading. They were all offered the opportunity to enrol in the next round of supervisory training to enhance their future prospects and have received guidance and information from HR and Recruitment.

“An unsuccessful candidate will always have a workplan”

In some instances, unsuccessful applicants are offered alternative roles, that managers believe they may be suitable for.

“We have a set standard of how we recruit but we can be flexible on this” When recruiting new staff, managers not only explain job responsibilities and expectations clearly, but also orientate the person to the culture of the workplace, and put them at their ease.

“We had a Powerpoint presentation of all the roles in the organisation and were

told about the importance of working well together” Retaining good staff begins at the recruitment stage and the recruitment strategy should aim to retain high performers and help them progress within the company. The strategy is not static and is constantly evolving to suit changing needs. A Biometrics based recruitment process is being trialled internally with a test group of 10 people, with a view to use it in conjunction with the skills based approach already in place. Through a robust interviewing process, followed by two weeks of intensive training, the organisation aims to ensure that recruits have a realistic idea of what the job entails and are committed to the long-term aims of the company.

“It was the best interview I have ever had in my life” There was some evidence that staff have been involved in recruitment and selection in some parts of the organisation, a few people confirmed that their views had been sought on applicants. The aspect of staff involvement is however, something that can be developed more formally. Staff do have the opportunity to recommend a friend. Successful recruitment and retention of the nominated individual attracts a cash reward paid in two instalments; the first if the nominated person is still employed at six weeks and then the second, if the person successfully completes their probation and is employed at six months. The reward total is £300.

While striving to retain employees, especially high performers, Senior Managers do acknowledge that a moderate level of staff turnover can be good for the business,

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bringing a new set of skills and experience to share. This can revitalise the organisation, bringing enthusiasm and inspiration.

“We pride ourselves in promoting from within but sometimes it is good to bring in

new blood”

Equality of Opportunity and Managing diversity

The inclusive culture of the organisation results from carefully planned strategies for managing and promoting equality of opportunity for people to develop to be the best they can. All the following areas are integral to the organisation and to creating an environment where everyone can shine:

The work-life balance and wellbeing of the staff.

Empowering staff and talent management.

Career development and job satisfaction.

Development of the MOD Reservist scheme.

Individual and focused Performance Management.

Cultural and religious diversity is respected for example, when a celebratory barbeque was held for staff, the Senior Team made sure that catering used Halal meat.

The restaurant is very flexible and caters for diverse dietary needs and food intolerances.

Staff following Ramadan or Eid may require different holidays (timing). The Leave Policy has flexibility written in to cater for this.

With each Induction cohort, a male and female trainer is assigned to the group.

During recruitment there is screening for Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, so that suitable support can be instigated as soon as possible, to ensure people are not disadvantaged.

A recent activity has been conduted whereby supervisors have been tasked with getting to know their staff more. All staff have been asked for 3 fun facts about themselves. Really fascinating facts have been emerging. Supervisors will receive a quiz about their staff.

“They are good at putting you in the right team”

“When we came into training they didn’t try to shape us into anyone else.

Managers fully respect who we are; we are allowed to let out personality shine”

All staff interviewed believe they have fair and equal access to appropriate learning and development opportunities. Work Life Balance

The Senior Managers fully believe in a healthy worklife balance for its entire staff. This is demonstrated by their ‘Work Small, Live Big’ strategy. This is fully explained under the report heading of Reward and Recognition.

Managers recognise the importance of staff motivation and have taken proactive measures to support their wellbeing and worklife balance. People believe there is a culture of support and teamwork and everyone acknowledges each other’s worklife balance and help out whenever they can. Staff believe that Senior Managers don’t just look after them in work, they also care about their lives outside the organisation, through the good times and the bad.

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People described how the Senior Management Team promote a healthy worklife balance and recognise how valuable people’s personal time off is.

“Shareholders put the welfare of staff above the needs of profit making”

A range of policies, provide staff with support to ensure a good worklife balance and various benefits such as flexible working are really welcomed by all staff. The MD explained his vision of having a working environment equipped with a swimming pool, hair salon and a gym but these ideas are currently restricted by the size of the premises.

Managing Performance and Developing Talent

The performance management system is strong and everyone is committed to it, realising the benefits it brings to them as individuals and to the company as a whole. As a result of the various reviews that take place, all staff were able to talk about their own targets and recognise how these link, in some way, back to the team’s targets. Targets and performance management are based around Performance, Quality and Attendance, these are reviewed through the following:

Weekly Performance Reviews for Sales and Admin.

PRO feedback of Quality Monitoring.

Call Introduction Monitoring.

CLEVER Monitoring.

Daily Quality sheets used by managers on the North Wing floor.

In Admin the supervisors work is spot checked by Floor Managers and PROs.

On the Sales Floor there are weekly Departmental Checks.

Campaign Managers complete a weekly WASP form.

Campaign Managers have monthly Reviews to discuss their own and their team’s performance.

“At the monthly reviews, we talk about what has happened and what will happen”

“If you are off target, Supervisors will spend some time with you, helping you and

coaching you into calls”

As part of the CLEVER monitoring, supervisors use stamps of animals to represent characteristics that Agents demonstrate throughout the call. This is very popular with staff with a visual learning style, for example a cheetah represents talking too quickly, a mouse, too softly and a giraffe, talking down to customers.

The organisation has a Skill Centre where people can listen to their own calls as part of performance management and continuous improvement. They do this with one of the Trainers or their Supervisor, in order to receive meaningful feedback and identify any further learning and development needs.

Leadership and Management Strategy and Leadership Effectiveness

The approach

The leadership approach at WFAC is very much about valuing the contributions that each individual brings and as a result, people have great loyalty and commitment to their work, the team and the business as whole. People radiate enthusiasm for the work they do and the service they provide. The organisation has gone through a management restructure with the MD looking at how he could disseminate responsibility, with a management structure that could

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truly influence the business. Management 16 and Management 8 was formed. Management 16 consists of Senior Managers, whereas Management 8 are the managers that only report in to the MD. Through a consistent style of leadership, modeled strongly by the Management 16 team, staff understand what to expect from their managers in terms of leadership and development. This is clarified in the Duties, Key Skills Requirements and Review Criteria of Career Plans and more practically in the newly implemented Daily Modes of Operation [DMOs]. Everyone interviewed was very positive about the leadership and management they experience from their managers. They believe they are effective and supportive. This whole report is testament to the effectiveness of leaders and managers at WFAC. Staff believe they are provided with ongoing constructive feedback on their performance in addition to the more formal feedback they receive as part of the review system. There was particular appreciation for the leadership of the MD, who has inspired staff to rise to various challenges. His approach is very people focused and he is widely appreciated for his passion and engagement with staff. He has been a strong force in moving the business forward, out of difficult times. People can see the commitment he has to drive excellence and how he works with ambition to make this organisation an outstanding place to work. Many people talked about the family feel to the organisation and how the MD makes sure he speaks to and makes regular contact with new people, to find out how they are getting on. Many people talked about how he had taken 50 people to the Wales versus Ireland rugby match in Cardiff, the weekend preceding the Assessment.

The strategic leadership by Management 16 was also highly praised. Staff feel they are guided by strong Values, modelling ‘Passion’ ‘Respect’ and Dynamism.

“Departments share information effectively because of the way Management 16

encourage people to work”

People believe that they do have good leaders. In addition to the comments made about their direct line managers, many people revealed their respect for the way all managers lead. All staff interviewed appreciated the encouraging, supportive and developmental style of leadership within WFAC.

“I have the best manager in the building, she is a good listener and always makes

time for the team”

“I like my job because of my manager”

“I would not be where I am today without my manager”

“There is always someone there for you if you are struggling”

“They won’t let you struggle, they deal with your worries and doubts”

“The research my manager does is unbelievable, he makes sure he gives us as

much information as he can”

“He wants us to do well and make something of ourselves”

“My manager is constantly allowing me to shine”

“Every problem we have had, managers have dealt with within 24 hours”

“I now feel confident to train other staff due to my manager’s support”

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Inspirational leadership

Being a role model and inspiring people to develop and achieve, is something everyone subscribed to. The Management 16 members value their roles as leaders and enjoy the opportunity they get to be involved as a team and make a direct contribution to developing strategy. They are very open with each other and challenge ideas and decisions in order to collaborate and make better decisions. Each of the Management 16 Team, sponsors a Campaign Manager. This pairing is based on an accurate assessment of skill sets. Senior Managers coach and support the managers. The Management 16 Team, all with over ten years experience of the Business, recognise the wealth of knowledge and skills that exist within the staff base and believe it is vital to consult with staff, as there is so much to learn by doing this. All managers are very proud of the influence the organisation has in the sector. They have developed close working relationships with some of the biggest lenders and they have pioneered some of the most sophisticated and current techniques. They also work very well with industry regulators, for example innovative thinking led to the development of paperless processing, with bodies such as FOS and the Claims Management Regulator. These processes are looked at as benchmarks within the industry. People recognise the forward thinking approach of the company and this is fully explained to them as part of induction and ongoing through floor briefings.

“As we grow as a company, we grow as a management team” The Senior Managers believe they are inspiring high levels of performance and achievement amongst their staff teams by:

Being visible in the way they work collaboratively as Management 16.

Working with the ethos that, if there is a problem, it can be solved.

Involving managers in developing plans and priorities within their teams.

Being open and transparent with targets.

“She learns all the time, so she thinks up new ideas and new ways of doing things”

“Our manager does inspirational talks, usually every Friday – during this time we

celebrate who has hit target”

“The passion he has for this company is unbelievable”

“They believe in what they are doing”

“My manager knows what he wants to achieve but gives me freedom to do things

my way” Some people are moved around the organisation to help them find a function within which they can shine. Managers share information with the team and openly discuss business challenges. In turn, managers have earned the respect of their team. People talked about how their managers inspire confidence and encourage them to learn and develop. Staff really value the forward thinking and creative approach of the MD. People discussed how effectively led the company is and how committed they are to its ongoing success. The WFAC Team is united with the passion they have for the service they offer and the way in which they can grow and further promote the company.

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People believe their managers role model continuous learning. They see them working hard and with dedication to develop themselves and their careers. They respect the fact that many of them have worked their way up within the company.

“The research my manager does is unbelievable, he makes sure he gives us as

much information as he can”

Feedback

Feedback is fully integrated into practice at WFAC. Staff are very happy with the amount of feedback received from managers; they explained how feedback also comes from customers, via testimonials. Most staff feel comfortable giving their managers feedback and believe it is very well received. In Administration, people tend to give feedback directly to their managers but on the Sales Floor, people are more conversant with using Think Tank to feedback.

Career Development

It is evident that through opportunities presented to staff to develop their skills and knowledge, many staff have been enabled to apply for promotion, change roles and enhance their careers. There were many examples of successful career development within the organisation and some people feel this has been facilitated through effective performance management by their managers. 20% of the Management 16 Team, worked through the organisation from initially working on the sales floor. People feel that the quality feedback from their managers helps them to improve their performance. Staff recognise how regular performance management discussion is very beneficial and provides good opportunity for people to focus on their own development needs. The Performance Review and Career Planning system gives staff the opportunity to comment on their own performance and aspirations and to consider how this links to organisational improvement. People interviewed, described how he or she has been developed within their role and has been supported to acknowledge career aspirations. They discussed their own career plans and how these are monitored and reviewed by their managers. On the whole, people do believe that their managers take into account their individual preferences and ways of learning and try to accommodate this in their planning. WFAC supports a diverse workforce and ensures that its values and policies promote equality of opportunity. Managers work hard to ensure there are no barriers to learning and that they make use of people’s talents. The commitment to equality is embedded within the recruitment processes. There were many examples of people moving across and within departments and having the opportunity to work on new projects. Continuous Professional Development [CPD] for professional roles is written into Career Development Plans. Senior Managers believes everyone should have a clear view and accessible path to move up within the organisation. The MD recognises the need for employees to stay challenged and in continual development. He will support this with the development of Academy and the opportunity to become an Armed Forces Reservist, allowing people to develop outside their roles.

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Reward and Recognition

Senior Managers recognise that there are factors other than pay that motivate people and encourage them to remain in the company, most notabley praise, recognition, rewards, learning and development and career development. Staff are genuinely valued in the company and managers continually seek potential ways of motivating and recognising their contribution. This is demonstrated with their clear strategy for reward and recognition. It ensures that there is consistency of approach in the way that people are recognised for their achievements and for their contributions to the company. WFAC managers needed a radical look at their reward and recognition strategy as they were struggling to get past a certain sales threshold. Last summer a new strategy for reward and recognition was launched in a surprising and memorable way. Staff were made aware that something would happen on a certain date and countdowns were displayed around the business. Senior staff were seen dressed in A Team outfits in the run up to the launch. At 3pm on the day of the launch, business stopped and all staff were introduced to the ‘Work Small, Live Big’ vision. With this came many new and innovative ways to reward and recognise staff with worklife balance at the heart of the concept. It includes the following benefits:

Reducing core hours from 9am - 6pm to 9am - 5pm, with no wage reduction. The manager promotes a work 49% live 51% approach.

Competitive salary, with a wage increase after the probationary period of 6 months is achieved. Regular cost of living wage reviews are carried out.

Bonus scheme for sales staff.

Opportunity to earn ‘Chorltey Chips’. ‘Chorltey Chips’ are given for achievements such as attendance, quality scores etc. On the sales floor, chips can be earned by hitting targets. Chips have a value and can be exchanged for a multitude of rewards in the incentive shop, to suit all needs. These can be viewed in the WFAC shop on ADMS. Chorltey Chips were highly praised by everyone, without exception. People love the way they can earn rewards such as high street vouchers, double pay, duvet days, days out vouchers, iPads, even a weekend in New York.

On the sales floor, if the weekly bonus is met by a Thursday, the employee can completely take the Friday off, if targets are hit by Friday morning, they can then go home as soon as that news is received. The MD then encourages employees to post pictures on Facebook of what they are doing with their paid day off, as motivation to other staff and to further promote the ‘Work Small, Live Big’ ethos.

Inclusion in Chorlton’s Members Club, which has a range of benefits including cinema tickets, eating out discounts, Virgin Gym membership or even full membership of the Celtic Manor Resort.

On site KC’s restaurant with discounted Starbucks.

Extensive training opportunities.

Access to Company Pension Scheme. Other reward and recognition strategies at WFAC includes:

Summer and Christmas staff parties. For example, many staff talked about this summer’s party at Chepstow Racecourse.

Coffee machines moved onto the sales floor.

Working environment given a facelift.

Recognised ‘work Birthdays’.

Certificates given for achieving 100% quality scores monthly.

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Top agents from the Outboaun Floor are recognised and their photographs are posted on the notice board monthly. They are given a lanyard for their staff badges with ‘Simply the Best’ on it.

Coloured lanyards to indicate length of service or position in the organisation.

Non-capped overtime.

Spot rewards by managers, such as extra 5 minutes break, £5 cash reward, sweets and treats etc.

“You are acknowledged, managers recognise talent and hard work”

“The MD does a lot of things to keep staff happy, he likes to look after us”

“In briefings we celebrate how we are doing and high achievers are recognised”

“The incentives are really good; we have bankable hours if we work overtime, we

can get paid or we can take the hours to leave early on a quiet day”

“Moving the coffee machines onto the floor, is a small change with a big impact”

“When we hit the 100 million milestone, we celebrated with a hog roast, we will do

something similar at 200 million, we really want people to recognise the key

milestones”

As a result of this innovative, forward thinking and generous reward, recognition and benefits strategy, people feel recognised and appreciated for the work they do. People talked about being part of a culture, where everyone’s efforts are recognised regularly. The WSLB scheme is not directly benchmarked, as no one else in the industry is operating anything similar. Plans have however been influenced by looking at what other call centres are doing to reward and recognise their staff, such as Admiral and British Gas. Pay and conditions were set using Call Centre Benchmarking. The surprise element of the launch of WSLB was important to the Senior Managers, therefore there was no direct consultation or gathering staff ideas on this. It was however, influenced by leaver exit interview feedback, considering factors such as targets and working hours. The next stage of developing the reward and recognition Strategy, is with the Development Team. This again, is being kept from the staff and will be announced with a surprise element. Chorltey ‘Chieves is based on the gaming concept. It will reward excellence. Achievement points will convert to Chorltey Chips. One of the key indicators of happy and valued staff is that people really enjoy working for the organisation. While there is a high attrition rate of people leaving in the first 6 months, there are many staff that have worked for the organisation for many years. Many people talked about how they have been encouraged to progress and take on new areas of responsibility.

People gave the following reasons why they are very happy working for the company:

The flexibility of working arrangements, which acknowledges the importance of personal commitments and truly respects work-life balance.

There are new challenges everyday.

The supportive teamwork.

Opportunity for learning and development.

Encouragement to progress and take on new areas of responsibility. The MD realises that recognition and reward is an extremely important part of a people management strategy. He encourages managers to take time to praise and

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thank staff appropriately and pass on specific customer and colleague feedback. Team Leaders are being encouraged to take time to give positive feedback appropriately, to dispel the old culture where feedback was seen as a negative reprimand. Several comments did suggest that this practice does still take place, but through training and performance management, Senior Managers are working hard to change the culture. Managers explained that they keep their rewards relevant and motivating by looking at people’s reactions and also discussing their strategies at regular Management 16 meetings. Staff polls are used to gain more specific feedback. For example a recent poll went out on ADMS to ask staff how they would like their overtime to be paid. Marketing have plans to roll out a monthly staff survey. The survey will allow people to respond confidentially, using survey monkey, if they wish. The survey will give the organisation data and information to trend people’s opinion month on month and to identify whether there is an improvement in people’s view of how they are managed and developed.

Involvement and empowerment

Everyone is given the opportunity to be a central part of the organisation and managers are working hard at creating an environment where giving and receiving feedback is valued. People do believe that they have opportunity to feedback ideas and suggestions to managers. They really appreciate the way they can provide detailed feedback through Think Tank and via opinion polls published when needed on ADMS. This is a company where the views and ideas of everyone matter. All staff are very appreciative of the influence they can have on the business. The culture observed within WFAC is one in which managers and their staff work together with mutual respect. Most people value the different skills and experiences each one brings to the company. As a team they celebrate successes, enjoy social events, share customer feedback and continually look for innovative ways of showing thanks. People talked about the high levels of teamwork and the friendly approach of everyone involved. Everyone is on board with ‘Work Small, Live Big’. The organisation has a number of strategies in place for sharing information and knowledge, for example:

Meeting structure.

E-mails.

Buddying opportunities.

Think Tank.

Morning briefings. On Think Tank there is a section for ‘My Bright Ideas’. This function allows people to communicate their ‘lightbulb moments’. People confirmed that through Think Tank they can give their ideas and also constructively challenge the way the organisation works. Ideas and opinions are always addressed promptly by Senior Managers. Think Tank allows people to be fully involved in the development of the business through communicating their thoughts, problems etc directly to Senior Managers. Special Challenges are often published, linked to what the organisation is trying to achieve. The change of the script length was influenced by Think Tank feedback. On the sales floor, teams have been empowered to choose their own team names, novel and very different team names include: Phone Gods, Atlas, Heroes, Amazing Animals and Astronomers.

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There were many examples given of how people are able to manage their own work with clear guidelines of operation and fully understood targets for achievement. Consultation and involvement is at the heart of the organisation’s success. The Forum members are now in place as a formal body to ensure staff involvement in all important decisions. The members of this group were nominated by their peers. The first item of business for this group, was to determine what their objectives were and to agree the Terms and Conditions of the Forum.

Continuous Improvement

Evaluating the Learning and Development Strategy

The ongoing commitment to continuous improvement is fully evident. The organisation relies upon well-trained and motivated staff, delivering the products and services and meeting the needs of existing and new customers. They recognise the need for development to be flexible and adapted to the needs of each member of staff. Following any formal learning intervention, staff complete a Training Evaluation Form, which is used by the team in HR to monitor the training provision. At this stage, it is considered whether there should be any more action. This forms part of an impact evaluation strategy. On the sales floor, new evaluation forms have recently been introduced. These look at the impact of learning by examining figures two weeks before training and then two weeks after training. With such tangible results, managers feel they can start to conduct meaningful analysis. It is clear that the HR, Recruitment and Training Teams use the information from evaluation to continue to develop their strategy for improving performance. The teams put a lot of thought into the training they will implement and how they will review the difference it makes to WFAC. They also described how achievements and progress against targets are regularly communicated to staff and stakeholders. Managers accurately evaluate their input into staff development through the following:

Management 16 Meetings.

Coaching sessions.

Tracking training spend.

Customer feedback (approximately 30 to 40 testimonials are received per month)

On the job performance.

Quality Monitoring.

Sales targets.

“The true measure of success is our customer feedback, it shows us what we need to

correct on a formal basis”

“We are one of the biggest CMCs in the country but we get things actioned very

quickly”

Evaluating and developing the people leadership and management strategy

This is not an organisation that stands still. It constantly looks for new ways in which it can improve its existing services and new ways of working. The organisation’s desire to be assessed against the full IiP Framework, further demonstrates their commitment to improvement and excellence.

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There is a focus on continuous improvement and the managers value feedback from both internal and external sources. There include:

Lender Forums for sharing best practice across the industry.

Call Centre Forum networking, has influenced their approach to Training, Corporate Social Responsibility and Core Values.

MOJ Annual Audits.

MOJ Relationship Management Calls.

TPS Complaints.

Trading Standards.

Customer feedback.

Exit interviews.

Think Tank.

Staff Polls.

Performance Reviews.

Staff Consultation Forums.

“We have recently received feedback from the MOJ that our sales operation is the

best they have seen in the industry” The focus on continuous improvement means that there is an ongoing review of processes and working practices. Managers are always looking to drive forward growth and seek new opportunities for promoting the brand and its services. They look for new ways of developing and working with their staff to improve what they do. Examples of changes include:

A revised bonus scheme moving from monthly to weekly accumulation of bonuses. People believe this achievement is now more realistic and therefore motivating.

Planning accredited training for staff.

Developing a system of review, whereby staff can have much greater control of their own career.

Use of KPIs to manage performance.

Introduction of DMOs to clearly lay out expectations and map out what people should be doing.

Management reorganisation and the formation of Management 16.

Trialling home working with the Quality Team. The transition has been excellent and results so far are very satisfactory.

Introduction of Career Progression Plans.

Employing a Dialler Manager, which enables a different shift pattern.

The WASP form has ensured more individual setting of targets.

Smaller ratios of Supervisors to staff.

Reduced sales script with update training for all staff.

Revised call monitoring.

New shifts in place for the Fulfilment Team.

“With the introduction of DMOs, prioritisation of work is much better”

“For me the biggest positive change has been Management 16. There is now no

silo operations and much more cohesive working”

“One of the biggest struggles, with a very positive outcome, has been making

sure we have the right people in the right positions with the right possibilities”

“We are not a multi layered organisation so decisions can be made very

quickly”

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“Implementing home working is a major step for the business. A change

prompted by a lack of space and implemented within two weeks”

“The introduction of Chorltey Chips has been very popular, it has addressed the

weakness in the way that we didn’t reward people in the non target driven areas

of the business. Everyone can earn Chips”

“Career planning gives you the tools and support to improve”

“The style of management has changed, we are now less target driven and more

people orientated”

“Here departments react very very quickly to make things happen”

“The script has been really reduced, our customers are much happier now”

“Now we are more active at getting customer testimonials”

“They have changed the script so we don’t have to struggle anymore”

“Until last year, we were never asked, we were told, now we are always asked by

the Senior Team – ‘What should we do’; it makes you want to work hard”

“There is two way feedback now, they take my ideas on board a lot more”

“Resulting from Forum discussion, Senior Managers are addressing issues with

how overtime is managed across the business” Staff believe managers are genuinely committed to continually improving the way they are led and managed in line with the organisation’s aims and priorities. They believe that they are truly committed to a collaborative style of management, where consultation and involvement is integral to success. Staff can see the important part they play in the success of the company; they believe that everyone’s opinions matter. People really do believe that WFAC is a great place to work, People here feel genuinely valued, they believe they work in a stimulating environment where every single person is nurtured and given the opportunity to develop. In turn, all staff work hard and seem to genuinely love their work. This is an organisation that is full of passion, commitment and motivation. Staff see that managers do want to continually improve and change the way they work as a result of feedback from staff and stakeholders. Most believe managers are receptive to feedback and are willing to learn, innovate and improve.

“ This place has massively built my confidence”

“I can’t fault a thing about this company”

“The training is ongoing and supervision is amazing, this is the best job I have had

in ages”

“I used to hate Sunday night, now I don’t, I look forward to work”

“You feel like a family member here”

“I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else”

The MD is always looking for new angles and ways to improve the business. Ideas currently in discussion are:

Developing Chorltey Chips so that they become a local currency within the community.

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Setting up a closed user group Alliance of Claims. Six out of the ten claims management companies are interested. They aim to get everyone in the top 10 on board.

Development of ‘Power Bar’ on ‘My Profile’ to further enhance the individual employees ownership of their learning journey and achievements.

Incorporating an accountancy practice.

Benchmarking

In the past, the company has been very insular but in the last few months they have started to talk more to external parties. A key component of the organisation’s planning process is now comparing strategy with other like-minded organisations. This is facilitated at Call Centre Forum, round table discussion. Seven of the major banks have used WFAC as a test basis and in turn they have helped the lenders build their systems.

Managers discussed benchmarking the following:

Pay and conditions (using the IDS Pay and Conditions in call and Contact Centres)

Absenteeism and sickness.

Industry recognised qualifications.

A Communications Manager has visited ‘The Claims Guys’, a company in Swansea, to look at how they are planning for and managing the forthcoming industry changes.

Internal Benchmarking is also used to improve strategy, such as reviewing team against team. Monthly management figures facilitate this.

“A catalyst for change has been our relationship with the lenders”

“Joining the Call Centre Forum has been hugely beneficial, we experience

common problems throughout the industry”

4. Continuous Development Suggestions

Achieving Gold status is a huge achievement and there are extensive examples of excellent practices. To ensure that IiP is seen as a tool for continuous improvement for the organisation and not a HR initiative, it is suggested that an organisational improvement group is formed, with strategic representation from all parts of the business. This group would take responsibility for driving forward a continuous improvement action plan, linked to IiP requirements. An alternative approach would be, that Management 16, take responsibility for driving forward improvements. This group would be correctly placed to cascade the important processes needed for an effective approach to continuous improvement.

The following are areas to consider for continuous improvement.

Suggestions for embedding Core Values

The defined Core Values are relatively new and there is still further work to be done to embed them and ensure that they really do drive the organisation forward. For example, they could be more explicitly used in performance management and recruitment strategies. They could also be used to form the basis of a more clearly defined ‘Leadership Approach’, defining the knowledge, skills and behaviours WFAC leaders and managers should have or be working towards.

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As part of embedding the Values, managers could evolve their approach to recognise people, who through their actions, deliver the Values and really make an impact. In the verbal feedback, at the end of the assessment, Senior Managers discussed the possibility of a ‘virtual stamp’ – a letter representing each of the Values. Managers could send a selected stamp to an employee who has demonstrated positive behaviour in line with a Value. This will help to dispel the belief, that a minority of people have, that ‘feedback’ is only given when you do something wrong (a perception that has its roots in practices of the past). The defined Values and associated behaviours could be used within career developement and talent management strategies. They would form a point of reference for employees, to help them to consider their aspirations and discuss in more depth a development path with their manager. This would further enhance the organisation’s approach to developing talent and succession planning. Each Training Course / Module could have the main Values it covers identified on any related documents / training listing on ADMS. When training is proposed by a Trainer, Manager or PRO, a request could indicate which of the Values the training would align to. The Senior Team will be instrumental in ‘lifting the Values off the page’ and promoting them in a highly inspirational way. The Values should have realistic meaning to each employee. People will need more time and support to be fully aware of the behaviours they need to live the Values. Suggestions for improving the Business Strategy

Although there are multiple channels for staff to have an input into the business planning process, there is still a body of staff that do not fully recognise the impact they have and the part they play in planning. Everybody appreciates company briefing sessions, but some people do see them as information giving sessions as opposed to an opportunity to directly influence future plans. To further involve staff in the direction of the business Senior Managers may consider holding an an annual strategy day to allow full consultation, this includes looking back at what has been achieved and planning the year ahead. Staff were much more conversant at telling the Assessor about major achievements than they were explaining the way forward. It is acknowleged that the organisation’s strategy is focused on hard measurable data, yet there is scope to build more qualitative objectives which could be visible to staff on the ADMS, possibly in the form of an ‘Organisational Road Map’. With a road map, there is always the option to change direction or take a slightly different route, responding to internal and external influencing factors, yet everyone has a view of the plan.

With the rapid growth of the business it is important for the new business priorities, contained within the annual strategy, to be communicated widely across the organisation, to ensure people are fully up to date and informed.

Effective communication, messaged from the Management 16 team, into the departments through a clear leadership structure, will be vital in ensuring all staff remain informed of the organisation’s plans and goals and how these translate into the work of each department.

Suggestions for developing the Learning and Development Strategy

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Managers may consider the following suggestions for developing the Learning and Development Strategy:

To further develop the learning culture there needs to be a shift in attitude so there are less people feeling that training and development is something that is done to staff and everyone has a fuller understanding and ownership of the process. People need to be clear about the objectives of their learning and further consideration made to maximising the impact of any development intervention.

Learning and development should extend to the furthest corners of the organisation and everyone should be encouraged to acknowledge the importance of continually developing, regardless of their role or how long they have been doing it.

Taking individual learning needs into consideration can be very beneficial. Some managers have developed a good pragmatic knowledge of learning styles, where others may need training on this. Involving staff in understanding their own preferred styles can help them make their own decisions about their learning, as can trying a range of new and flexible approaches. A greater focus on learning styles would help to further develop the culture of continuous learning.

Further success in developing a learning culture could be achieved by focusing more on valuing, celebrating and sharing learning and best practice. Celebrating achievement encourages further success and is motivating for staff. It creates an infectious culture of improvement, with the behavioural aspects underpinning the Values at the heart of success.

After any learning and development event, all managers should engage their staff in sufficient, indepth discussion on what has been learnt, how they will apply this to their job and to identify anyone else who would benefit from a cascade of knowledge. There are, once again, some very good examples of this happening, but it is not consistent across the organisation.

There is evidence that performance coaching is being carried out by some managers, and routinely by the Supervisors. Most fully understand its principles and purpose of ensuring that learning is effectively transferred to the workplace and people are developed to become confident, independent and high performing members of staff. There was however some confusion on the difference between performance coaching (in the context of the Standard) and skills coaching. Coaching in the context of the IiP Standard defines it as ‘A formal or informal process that aims to improve the performance, learning and development of an individual through effective questioning and feedback. It is about helping people to think issues through for themselves, rather than telling or instructing someone.’

Good practice has been shown in developing coaching skills. Formal training, predominantly using the GROW model, has been provided for Supervisors. The organisation could clarify strategies for developing the coaching culture and taking it forward, considering ways in which coaching oppotunities may be used more widely to support personal development and help people to achieve their full potential. For example, considering how coaching could be used by Senior Managers as part of a development strategy for high potential staff within the business.

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To help staff to become clearer about the objectives for their learning and how they may maximise the impact of any development intervention, you could improve on and broaden the way Training Request forms are used. On this form staff could request, with the support of the Trainer, PRO or manager what they hope to achieve, how it will improve the way they work, what skills and knowledge they hope to develop, how it will help them achieve their goals and targets and how they will apply and share the learning. What is important is that more ownership is placed with the member of staff on identifying and defining the need. The approval process by HR, could match the request to team and company priorities and Core Values.

Consideration could be made on how the evening shifts can gain fair and equal acces to the feedback and support offered by the PROs and Trainers who only work on day shifts.

Suggestions to further enhance the culture of reflection

Managers may consider the following suggestions for developing reflective practices to support the culture of learning:

The PRIDE Values could be used as an integral part of the way managers refelect on their effectiveness in terms of the way they lead manage and develop people.

Leaders and managers could identify more clearly, how they act as inspiring and effective leaders.

Managers could consider how they reflect on their effectiveness both as individuals and collectively as a team, using feedback from staff. Senior Managers may consider how more structured feedback on management effectiveness may be sought from staff.

Managers could be ‘buddied up’ to support each other’s reflective practice. This would need to be a considered and guided strategy, to work in line with the performance management and line management structure already in place.

There could be more focus on reflection and self-assessment for people at all levels. Maintaining a learning log to record their development through both formal and informal learning could help people to more fully understand the extent of their development. There are plans in hand to make individual training records available to staff on their personal profile on ADMS. The recording form may need some revision to allow reflective comments, ensuring it is not just a list of courses/training attended. Consideration may also be made to how staff could be encouraged to capture the less formal learning they engage in, such as buddying up and ‘Round the World ‘ visits.

Suggestions for improving the management of Equality and Diversity

The organisation has an Equal Opportunities Policy, which aims to promote equality for all and embed fairness across all aspects of planning, policy and procedure. This is brief and there is scope to include more detail to the organisation's plans to manage diversity. There are certainly good examples of the way talent is nurtured and diversity managed. The following are areas for consideration when seeking to design, implement and evaluate a programme to further promote diversity:

Consider creating an inspirational and practical Diversity Vision, and making this high profile and available to all staff.

Encourage all staff to assess their own knowledge of the organisation’s policy

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and practice.

Consider the impact of diversity upon organisation effectiveness.

Possibly engaging with a tool such as Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator [MBTI] as part of a diversity strategy.

Managers, Team Leaders and Supervisors could be encouraged to challenge themselves with the following questions:

Whether they have honest and equal relationships with each of the staff within their team? Are they comfortable in the company of each of them?

Does the physical environment and facilities of the work environment put any group of employees at a disadvantage?

Do the cultural realities of the organisation’s environment and community disadvantage any groups?

Do managers ensure that opportunities for advancement are accessible to everyone and all barriers are minimised?

When recruiting, do Senior Leaders insist on a diverse screening and make additional outreach efforts to ensure that a diverse pool of candidates has applied?

Do all leaders and managers ensure that opportunities for advancement are accessible to everyone and all barriers are minimised?

Suggestions for developing the Leadership and Management approach

Inspirational leadership There is no doubt that the leadership of WFAC is excellent and strongly led by Management 16, who are seen as cohesive and consistent in the way they share information. As part of the organisation’s quest for continuous improvement and their acknowledgement of a continual journey, the Assessor suggests that more work could be done to consider and promote ‘inspiring leadership’. There was unanimous appreciation of managers but there was evidence of people, at all levels, who found it difficult to relate to or recognise ‘Inspirational Management’

Seeking feedback on leadership management and effectiveness Although staff have ongoing opportunity to provide feedback to managers, the organisation could seek more explicit and regular staff feedback on manager effectiveness in line with the PRIDE Values, so that leaders and managers have specific feedback from staff, against which to consider how they perform. The collection of feedback should be more clearly linked to the defined capabilities or requirements for leaders (knowledge, skills and behaviors). It is good practice for managers to consider and act on this feedback where appropriate. Although people do accept that managers are beginning to seek feedback on their performance, many still feel reserved in doing so. Some people are not fully aware of what WFAC requires from its managers, therefore people still feel it is difficult to give meaningful feedback on their effectiveness. It would be good practice to involve all leaders and managers in a revision and further enhancement of the capabilities and to take into account external good practice and current thinking. The Capabilities could be more simply described as the knowledge, skills and behaviours required of managers under the Value headings. There could be clearer communication on the expectations people should have of managers at the different levels within the organisation to ensure clear and consistent understanding. This would allow people to comment more constructively when asked for feedback on their manager’s effectiveness.

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Consideration could also be given to be given to how the Leadership and Management requirements affect the way the Board carry out their responsibilities and how they reflect collectively on their leadership effectiveness.

It is good practice to annually seek the views of staff to provide the opportunity to trend staff opinion year on year. Analysis could be completed month on month if this ties in better with your plans to conduct monthly staff surveys. Feedback can be used by individual managers as part of their own reflection of personal practice and also collectively by the management teams when reviewing their overall approach to leadership and management. There could be more focus within the Performance Management of all management and supervisory staff on leadership capabilities the required knowledge, skills and behaviors. Further promoting leadership skills for all employees Consider developing a simple in house leadership programme / leadership master classes in line with the organisation’s Core Values, to help staff further understand personal leadership within their own roles. The Management Team could be involved in the design of this programme as part of their own development and consolidation of the leadership approach.

Reward and recognition

Consider building on the excellent practice you have already brought in by introducing an awards scheme, which recognises excellence in the way staff live the PRIDE Values and impact on organisational improvement. Senior Managers need to consider how they may acknowledge outstanding contributions staff make, with possible public acknowledgement within the WFAC environment. What is important is that everyone becomes aware of people’s successes; how they are delivering the Values and making an impact. This could be used to extend the ‘Employee of the Month’ recognition into the Administration side of the business.

The Investors in People Framework

A Revised Framework is due to be launched this September and will impact on the company’s next Review. Further details can be found at http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/journey/framework-vi

5. Outcome

Having carried out the assessment process rigorously and in accordance with guidelines monitored by Investors in People Wales, I recommend that We Fight Any Claim Limited should be recognised as Investors in People Gold status. Achieving Gold additional recognition represents achievement of world class best practice and shows you are a truly cutting-edge organisation operating at the highest levels of people management practice.

Assessor Signature:

On behalf of Investors in People Wales

Date: 18.08.15

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Date of 3 year Review: on or before 18.08.18

APPENDIX A: Review Evidence Requirements Results Please use the key to refer to all the evidence requirements addressed by this review.

39 additional 26 additional 76 additional 126

= the Standard = Bronze = Silver = Gold

Total number assessed =196 Achieved = 180

Key

Ev

ide

nce

Re

qu

irem

en

ts

Indicator

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

5 5

6 6

7 7

8 8

9 9

10 10

11 11

12 12

13 13

14 14

15 15

16 16

17 17

18 18

19 19

20 20

21 21

22 22

23 23

24 24

25 25

26 26

27 27

28 28

29 29

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Evidence

Requirement Met

Met with Development

Opportunity

Not Met - Further

Evidence Required