Enabling Your Potential -Ethics of coaching and developing so people know where their future is within the company.

They sit in an open plan office so they are with the rest of the team. They know everything there is to know about the brand. They have an "open door" policy when it comes to asking/answering questions. They are extremely approachable. They live and breathe the company. They take ownership.

Robert Woodhead Ltd allowed their local Scout Group to stay in their building overnight, using the facilities available, to enable them to complete several badges. The Scout Troop held an award presentation evening where Robert Woodhead Ltd provided them with the funds to cater for all Scouts, their families and members from the Scout movement. Robert Woodhead Ltd have also engaged with communities around their construction sites, this included the BIG Initiative Programme (Building to Inspire a Generation) which has been set up with the purpose of addressing the skills gap of both on site and office based roles across the construction industry. The purpose of the BIG Initiative was clear and focused on two areas: They wanted a robust strategy, method and brand to inspire people of all ages to join the construction industry. Secondly they wanted a vehicle to drive training and development for people who were already in the industry. The B.I.G Initiative is a companywide commitment to training and development.

The One Riverside Annual Training Plan & the launch of ‘Learning to Lead.' 100% of employees have an annual performance appraisal, containing a two-way discussion between employee and manager to evidence competencies and objectives. Training needs are identified and agreed. This forms the basis of Riverside's annual training plan. Each employee reviews development through a regular 1-2-1 meeting with their own manager. This training plan guarantees employees a range of elearning, workshop-based training, non-work related personal development opportunities, and the opportunity to apply for funded professional development – often with time off to study. All business areas have provision for learning adaptations, staff events and conferences and a continuous professional development. As part of this commitment and to provide the business with a bench strength of ‘ready talent to entry level line manager roles, the company launched a new talent programme called ‘Learning to Lead' – with applications open to those wishing to become ‘job ready.' This talentpool of 40 employees completed an assessment centre, 360 feedback, a series of skills, knowledge and behaviour workshops, heard from guest leadership speakers, and had unlimited access to a line manager elearning suite of modules. Each employee had a mentor throughout the 6-month programme. One year after the launch, 70% of employees in the programme had successfully been recruited into line manager roles, reducing our cost and time per hire and raising engagement with this talentpool and retaining their skills rather than lose them to other organisations.

Ridgeons have a range of activities throughout the year as fundraising events for charity. All branches recently took part in the Macmillan coffee morning. Branches have also organised dress down days, sponsored cycle rides, dragon boat racing etc. A number of the branches will also respond to requests from local organisations for free building materials. Each branch has a separate community budget that they control. As a company they are also members of Business in the Community and take part in their Business Class initiative where they partner a local school. Ridgeons partner North Cambridge Academy and facilitate a range of events including mentoring students to learn about the world of work, providing pre-employment skills to students, offering work experience and have just introduced an annual competition for 13 year olds to design a display stand to be used in one of their branches.

Managing Excellence is RICS' internal training programme, which is designed to encourage Managers to talk about their performance with their line manager, to identify strengths and gaps in performance, to create and own their own development plan and build capability as a people manager. The process has been designed to be flexible, so that workshops and other development solutions can be added and updated according to the company's organisational needs. This approach has also allowed RICS to package workshops into 3-4 day modules to be delivered globally, according to the needs of the management teams outside of the UK. They also have Elevate, a leadership development programme that is delivered over three, three-day modules designed for managers to take the next step from managing people to leading teams. It is based on three areas: Leading Self (self-awareness, emotional intelligence), Leading Others (transformational leadership) and Leading the Business (culture, vision and strategy).

The company are working with Form the Future ,a Cambs-wide educational charity to support various educational outreach activities. They have sent volunteers to participate in mock interviews with students at a local secondary school, run a CV writing workshop, and an interactive STEM careers workshop, and invited 20 students to visit Redgate where they'll spend time learning about four different projects. The company has just started to partner with Chesterton Community College to help their head of computing design and deliver a Computer Science curriculum for years 7 to 11. The company is partnering with Simprints, a local non-profit delivering hardware to help healthcare workers identify patients in the developing world, on a week-long project to rewrite some of their key software. The company also has a long-standing relationship with Romsey Mill, a local charity supporting young people and families, and offer them help throughout the year. The company donate their old computers to Afrinspire. There is also a volunteer day where every member of staff can spend one day a year volunteering on any charitable project they like.

A high percentage of the company's managers are home grown and the company therefore ensure they have the opportunity to receive training prior to promotion, to enable them to take on new responsibilities and tasks. The company have two training courses that are aimed at supervisors and assistant managers specifically, Ambassadors in Management (AIM) 1 & 2. They cover subjects such as, workplace communication, motivating a team to perform, induction and coaching, dealing with change, time management, problem solving skills, influencing and negotiating amongst others. Once managers, there is a range of foundation management courses they must attend, such as Health & Safety for Managers, Appraisal skills, Recruitment & Selection, and how to manage people and their performance. We call this AIM 3. For Heads of Department, senior managers and general managers there is a course called “Championing our Elite” which covers project management, managing a budget, leadership and management skills. The company has mentors for junior managers and for our graduate programme participants which helps support, nurture and challenge the managers of the future. All those on the graduate management programme have quarterly meetings with our Managing Director which is both a great development opportunity and support for individuals as they progress through their programme.

Extra Care scheme (for very elderly and vulnerable residents) was recently renovated, including the creation of sensory gardens. In addition to the south garden, which also includes a BBQ area for summer parties, a ‘wildlife walk' has been created with elevated views of Poole Harbour, and a courtyard with beautifully scented evergreen pine, rosemary and euphorbia. Residents are thrilled with the results. This has had the desired impact of encouraging elderly residents to leave their flats and enjoy the gardens and socialise with other residents; with important health benefits. There are now successful community gardens in areas that no-one believed they could work, and local youngsters are getting to understand where their food comes from, and learn about healthy eating. They support the local credit union (Coastal Community Savings and Loans) and offer the time of their staff to support the running and good governance of this organisation.

pastingThe Phoenix Car Company culture is steeped in giving something back. To the wider community, charity organisations and supporting worthy causes. £71000 last year is testament to the importance they place on this topic.

Commitment, dedication, passion and organisation are some of the values senior management possess, so as to have the required influence for others to follow and be part of the common goal for all to share in the continuous success of the Company. Their knowledge of the Industry coupled with their decisiveness creates confidence and security.