Local NHS Trust recognised for its “real respect” for people
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has retained its status as an employer which invests in its staff, after successful reaccreditation to the Investors in People (IiP) standard.
Following assessments this year, the Trust has been reaccredited and commended in a number of areas for its working practices.
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides NHS services across Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. The Trust employs around 4500 staff who, between them, work over half a million hours each month.
The IiP report noted that “the Trust, in many ways, epitomises the Investors in People philosophy. Not because everything it does is right, but because there is a constant drive to do things better which is underpinned by a real and honest respect for people as individuals”.
Ashley Hambling, human resources business manager for the Trust, said, “This is a fantastic achievement for the Trust and recognises the many examples of good practice that exist within the organisation. There is a clear link between investing in our staff and improved care for service users and carers, and we are using Investors in People to support continuous improvement across the Trust.”
Tony Wright is a staff side representative who took part in the internal review. He said, “I enjoyed working as an internal assessor during the recent reaccreditation; it was particularly good to see that people interviewed as part of the process came from many different areas of the Trust and every grade of staff.
“Representing the interests of the workforce as we do, Staff Side are very pleased with the news that the Trust is now aiming for the top level of IiP accreditation. The desire to begin working towards Gold standard proves that the Trust is not afraid to challenge established methods in an effort to achieve continuous improvement as an employer”.
Alan Davis, director of human resources, said, “I would like to thank everyone who took part in the assessment and review. As the report notes, since the first review, the organisation has doubled in size, and we have been challenged to maintain a positive culture amongst a much larger workforce. Reaccreditation to the IiP standard recognises our commitment to investing in our staff; our aim now is to act on the feedback given as part of the review and work towards gold level accreditation.”
