Team Cohesion = Performance

Love Baked In is how the company describe the values of their business. All of the senior leadership team attended workshops to help create and shape this value statement for the business and it is part of their JD. They are also assessed and evaluated by the CEO on the basis of this value of Love Baked In There are 5 key ingredients to Love Baked In The Taste of Devotion; This is going the extra mile. The senior managers do whatever it takes to fulfill the companies mission The Feeling Of Craft : This is about the attention to detail .An example would be that each manager creates a weekly trading report analysing key metrics around the performance of their area of the business. The Desire to Share The value here is generosity . So generous with their time ,managers hold weekly/monthly one to one's and build strong relationships with their team. The Telling Of Stories: Creativity and playfulness Senior management talk about the values at the start of their team meetings and get their team to focus on great examples. The Appetite to Return: The company want to create family members not just team members so senior managers care for their team as people not just workers !

The CEO is funded to be part of a CEO network called VISTAGE. Here he gets one to one coaching , he also is part of a group of CEO peers from whom he gets support and advice . This year a 6 part leadership training course was funded by Growth Accelerator which all managers in the business were able to attend . It was designed to suit K & C needs and included sessions on the knowing/doing/being of leadership, emotional Intelligence, influencing skills, situational leadership, managing performance - delegation skills, feedback skills, coaching skills, & appraisal skills. All K & C team members are eligible to attend for free our Cake School. Here they can learn more about how our cakes are made and are taught basic decorating and baking skills. It's a great team building and development resource that they have available in house.

When working with an individual to prevent them having to take sick leave or to help them get back to work quicker, they will look at all options. In the past this has included paying for a college course on mindfulness, gym membership, massage and acupuncture. They acknowledge that different things work for different people and so are open to suggestions from both the individual and from medical professionals.

Work closely with volunteers and community groups to develop solutions to local problems and projects that help meet community needs and aspirations. Support residents to develop the skills and confidence to organise their own community activities. Follow this link to you-tube to see how it is done https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPqKiYU4mnQ. Get online and get ahead in the digital inclusion project, they provide free wifi, access to computers and training, this is run with the support of community groups.

All managers receive external one to one coaching on a monthly basis. They can use this time to process any issue they wish, it is entirely confidential and for their own personal and professional development. The company have delivered a year long programme of world class speakers to work closely with their senior management team. In order to support their Financial Controller the company engaged a part time Finance Director to mentor her through a period of growth and planning. Their marketing executive has been put through a CIM Certificate funded by the company and supported with paid study days. The senior management team run their own diaries and know that the company place great value on their personal and family lives. They believe that to alleviate stress at senior level it is important that they are present at children's sports days, partner's hospital appointments, school plays and all those things that being present at hopefully give one a really great work-life balance. They do not expect a 9-5 culture, they expect a high performing team who delivers on the goals and objectives of their business and their happiness is key to that. The company treat them like grown-ups and they behave like them -it is a culture of mutual respect.

All managers receive external one to one coaching on a monthly basis. They can use this time to process any issue they wish, it is entirely confidential and for their own personal and professional development. The company have delivered a year long programme of world class speakers to work closely with their senior management team. In order to support their Financial Controller the company engaged a part time Finance Director to mentor her through a period of growth and planning. Their marketing executive has been put through a CIM Certificate funded by the company and supported with paid study days. The senior management team run their own diaries and know that the company place great value on their personal and family lives. They believe that to alleviate stress at senior level it is important that they are present at children's sports days, partner's hospital appointments, school plays and all those things that being present at hopefully give one a really great work-life balance. They do not expect a 9-5 culture, they expect a high performing team who delivers on the goals and objectives of their business and their happiness is key to that. The company treat them like grown-ups and they behave like them -it is a culture of mutual respect.

Their “Club Excel” programme has been running for some years now. Club Excel is an all-expenses paid 5* holiday, for a period of 4 days and includes excursions, a gala dinner and other special events. The top 5% of employees (32 employees in 2014) are selected from all parts of the business including sales and head office functions to recognise unique and outstanding contributions. Winners are announced as part of a gala dinner at their annual company conference that all employees attend. Winners can take their partners if they wish. Previous destinations have included Monte Carlo, Lisbon, Cape Sounio and Montreaux

Their “Club Excel” programme has been running for some years now. Club Excel is an all-expenses paid 5* holiday, for a period of 4 days and includes excursions, a gala dinner and other special events. The top 5% of employees (32 employees in 2014) are selected from all parts of the business including sales and head office functions to recognise unique and outstanding contributions. Winners are announced as part of a gala dinner at their annual company conference that all employees attend. Winners can take their partners if they wish. Previous destinations have included Monte Carlo, Lisbon, Cape Sounio and Montreaux

The company have a strong culture of learning within the organisation which is built into their cultural values. Their aim is to deliver unique and tailored learning and development opportunities to all levels of their teams. The have a structured training programmes for all levels joining their teams to the teach knowledge and skills required. The company regularly refresh the knowledge of their restaurants teams through their ‘passion sessions' which are designed to refresh existing team and inspire newer employees. These complement the daily ‘pre-shift meetings'. The aim of both is to keep restaurant team's level of knowledge to the required standard but also to keep maintain the passion and culture for excellence. Organised trips to suppliers eg farms, markets, butchers etc, helps develop knowledge, which can be passed onto the rest of the team. This year's focus has been growing their own chef talent. The company now offer apprenticeships to unskilled chef candidates which include an NVQ 2 qualification is professional cookery. NVQs are also offered to existing chefs who would like to further develop their skills. The company are launching a ‘chef olympics' to allow talented chefs to stretch their cooking and creative skills. Jamie's successfully delivering monthly ‘Foodspiration' sessions, run by their most senior chefs for the junior chefs. They are taught new skills and knowledge on subjects not related to our menu e.g. french sauces, butchery. To ensure chef development is continual we have a unique, practical appraisal system to appeal to chefs ways of learning.

The company have a strong culture of learning within the organisation which is built into their cultural values. Their aim is to deliver unique and tailored learning and development opportunities to all levels of their teams. The have a structured training programmes for all levels joining their teams to the teach knowledge and skills required. The company regularly refresh the knowledge of their restaurants teams through their ‘passion sessions' which are designed to refresh existing team and inspire newer employees. These complement the daily ‘pre-shift meetings'. The aim of both is to keep restaurant team's level of knowledge to the required standard but also to keep maintain the passion and culture for excellence. Organised trips to suppliers eg farms, markets, butchers etc, helps develop knowledge, which can be passed onto the rest of the team. This year's focus has been growing their own chef talent. The company now offer apprenticeships to unskilled chef candidates which include an NVQ 2 qualification is professional cookery. NVQs are also offered to existing chefs who would like to further develop their skills. The company are launching a ‘chef olympics' to allow talented chefs to stretch their cooking and creative skills. Jamie's successfully delivering monthly ‘Foodspiration' sessions, run by their most senior chefs for the junior chefs. They are taught new skills and knowledge on subjects not related to our menu e.g. french sauces, butchery. To ensure chef development is continual we have a unique, practical appraisal system to appeal to chefs ways of learning.

The company have a 50 day per year charity bucket and they encourage staff to use these days for charity related events. Employees need to apply directly with the charity committee to use some of the 50 days from the pot. Some have used days to work with homeless charities, to do fundraising activities or to spend time in local schools listening to children read. This financial year, in the company's Manchester office, they are supporting Salford Foodbank with all funds raised going to this great cause. Currently there is people using their ‘Giving Something Back' time to undertake shopping collections and deliveries, as well as packing food parcels for Foodbank visitors. The company have a great apprenticeship programme working with a local training college. They currently have 7 apprentices who they have high hopes of keeping on when they qualify. The company very much enjoy taking raw talented young people and seeing qualified professional men and women develop over the year.

The company are always looking to boost team interaction and have a dedicated social committee to help host a range of fun activities and team building events across each location. Alongside that, they hold company-wide quarterly meetings which give each department the opportunity to feedback their team's news for the quarter. At this meeting, the company present awards such as iPads, weekend trips for 2 and £50 vouchers to what they call their ‘heroes of the month'. The winners are decided by employees and nominations are collected via an internal survey. To ensure communication is flowing in-between our quarterly meetings, we also send out an IT Lab newsletter which each department contributes to.

The Isoscars are held annually to reward and recognise employees effort in bringing the values to life. Everyone has the opportunity to nominate a colleague in each category and also to nominate a ‘team of the year'. Once nominations close, a panel made up of the Chief Exec, Assistant Director (People), Chair of the Staff Forum, a manager and team leader, individually shortlist the nominations, they then meet as a group to agree the winners and runners up in each category. All of the individual winners in the values categories are then pooled together and an overall ‘employee of the year' is chosen. Everyone who receives a nomination is commended publically and receives a branded Isoscar card that is addressed personally to them. The awards were presented by the Executive Team and Assistant Directors. This year it took place at the Beacon Centre in Newcastle.

The Isoscars are held annually to reward and recognise employees effort in bringing the values to life. Everyone has the opportunity to nominate a colleague in each category and also to nominate a ‘team of the year'. Once nominations close, a panel made up of the Chief Exec, Assistant Director (People), Chair of the Staff Forum, a manager and team leader, individually shortlist the nominations, they then meet as a group to agree the winners and runners up in each category. All of the individual winners in the values categories are then pooled together and an overall ‘employee of the year' is chosen. Everyone who receives a nomination is commended publically and receives a branded Isoscar card that is addressed personally to them. The awards were presented by the Executive Team and Assistant Directors. This year it took place at the Beacon Centre in Newcastle.

The company have department specific recognition programs. for example in support they have engineer of the quarter and engineer of the year awards who get recognition and rewards for their efforts.

The company have department specific recognition programs. for example in support they have engineer of the quarter and engineer of the year awards who get recognition and rewards for their efforts.

Employees are allowed to work from home one day a week, which eases the stress of travelling to work. This also allows some people the option of doing the school run and taking deliveries without having to worry about taking time off work.

Managers reward their team members with gift vouchers when they have gone the extra mile. The company has recently introduced their Above and Beyond awards. Nominations are open to the whole company. One of their software developers won the last award and received a gift of £200 vouchers.

Employees are eligible for a profit related company bonus scheme which is determined by the performance of the Division against set criteria. The criteria are set out at the beginning of each financial year and employees are regularly updated as to progress.

The company runs an in-house management development program that deals specifically with understanding leadership, coaching and developing people, engaging and motivating people, setting goals and providing feedback. Individual manager needs are also identified and addressed. High performing managers are also given the opportunity to further develop by attending formal, external courses.