Team Cohesion = Performance

Having been re-accredited for ISO14001 as an organisation ESOS continue to recognise that they have a responsibility to ensure that the impact of their activities on the environment is kept to a minimum. The company encourage activities that reduce the environmental impact on both their local and wider community including: paper, mobile phone, printer, battery, stamps, aluminium and plastic bottle recycling. All PC hardware is recycled in line with the WEEE directive. ESOS also encourage car sharing where possible. This, they believe, ensures that everyone remains aware and active in the efforts to recycle. They also have a very active Charity committee who arrange a number of fundraising events for their chosen charity. Events in 2012 so far have included, fancy dress days, bikeathon, quiz night, summer family party and various raffles.

As an organisation ESOS seeks to enhance the wellbeing of its employees in a number of ways. They have an on site gym, squash court, sauna, pool table that can be used at any time and free aerobics/fitness classes at lunch time to encourage a healthy lifestyle. The company also have a fishing lake within the grounds which allows people to walk around or fish in their leisure time or they may choose to relax within the bistro area in the offices. ESOS offer free annual eye tests and have an anonymous Employee Assistance Programme provided by Norwich Union who provide counselling, information services for work, family crises and personal life challenges. Each Friday is a dress down day through a Give As You Earn scheme with all money going to their chosen charity.

The whole organisation comes together at the end of every month to celebrate the company's success and individual teams are given the opportunity to present to the whole organisation and are recognised for their success. Efficio has two annual review cycles to ensure that employees do not have to wait a full 12 months before getting feedback and acknowledgement for their hard work. Bonuses are paid bi-annually as an outcome of this review cycle which is also perceived very positively by the employees.

Each employee recieves support and coaching through two direct levels: Immediate Project Manager and Mentor. There are dedicated trainings focused on Project Management and Mentoring. The Project Manager focuses on supporting the employee on specific project needs and deliverables while the Mentor focuses on the employee's career aspirations and long-term goals.

The company are really proud to be recognised as an industry leader in Attorney training. Not only are they told this by recruitment consultants, they are recognised by their competitors and experience no problems in recruiting highly talented trainee level Attorneys. The company also has excellent retention rates.

The introduction of the cash plan, alongside the firm's private health and dental plan which is all paid for by D Young & Co, has been really well received. They have found that individuals are opting for the cash plan more than the private health. The cash plan is a great way to promote other health aspects as it incorporates optical benefits, prescription benefits, as well as alternative medicines. The firm is particularly pleased as this has also generated savings for the business, which have been reinvested into other benefits. These other benefits have included a discounted shopping portal. Whilst not directly associated with well-being, there have been two key advantages. Firstly, it has given individuals the opportunity to maximise online shopping discounts in their comfort of their own home, but it also gives discount in health and well-being areas. For example, employees can get 8% off products at Boots, as well as saving money on gym membership and other fitness activities.

It is essential that Crown recognises outstanding efforts from employees and rewards them appropriately when the opportunity arises. Performance recognition is something Crown believes is one of the best ways to improve workplace effectiveness and so has a Performance Recognition initiative that is hugely popular among employees. Following a previous survey, Crown introduced a new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) award in 2011 which is presented to an individual or team who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to CSR, customer service and the general helping of others. They appreciate employees who hold similar values to theirs, in and out of the workplace, so whether a member of staff has demonstrated their contribution within their job role or in their own time, they are rewarded. Nominations are put forward by colleagues, ensuring an inclusive initiative and these are then reviewed by a panel, which comprises members of the HR team and the Head of Environment. By encouraging all employees to aspire to this scheme and nominate each other, it helps staff to feel part of a team and provides them with the chance to work towards a group goal, separate to their own individual objectives.

Each year, staff from across the UK choose a Charity of the Year that they will fundraise for. Staff are particularly fond of this initiative as the company also gives them the opportunity to take time out of their roles each month to volunteer for them. There are also countless opportunities for staff to host or take part in events. This year, the Charity of the Year was DebRA and teams from across the country really got on board with the volunteering and fund raising opportunities available. Events and fund raising initiatives included a PC Health Clinic whereby IT staff provided a drop-in service for faulty IT equipment to be fixed, an ‘Adrenalin Rush' day where employees took part in thrill-seeking adventures for sponsorship, volunteering in DebRA shops, a London to Paris bike ride and sack collections to donate stock to the charity's shops. Staff collectively raised over £50,000 for the charity, with a contribution from Crown.

The company's recognition strategy is rolled out and communicated to all managers through workshops and guidelines. This includes recognising individual achievements privately and publically e.g through 6 weekly G Forces and the annual Grafter Awards ceremony, as well as monthly Platinum Parking awards, Massages of the Month and Spin the Wheel prizes for people who have been nominated. Managers have the 'Recognition Tool Kit' as a guide and have the ability to spend a set budget on recognising individuals and teams. Everyone in the agency can nominate people through the gratitude boards, which are on public display, and all have easy access to the Thank you cards, which can be personally written and distributed in a timely manner.

The company's comprehensive internal training schedule supports the specific requirements of their employees in a way that an external provider couldn't necessarily do, as it is so specific to their business, run by people within the business. They have a true knowledge sharing focused approach, which helps to keep costs down, but has proven to be highly successful with increased percentage scores in their annual employee survey for Training & Development. It has raised skill levels across the business and supports the development plans of all employees, as it provides employees with the opportunities to learn new skills and gain further understanding of industry relevant information.

The company listens to its employees in many different ways. They have been IIP registered since 1999 and information gained from IIP assessments helps them to understand what their staff feel and think. From this they have implemented their cultural and management competencies. Listening skills are one of the company's key management competencies. The IIP assessments ensure that their management strategies are working, and employees are happy and motivated within the culture and organisation. The company also use an appraisal system that focuses on honest, two-way communication. Their appraisals are not tick-box exercises; they are in-depth discussions with employees about their development needs and career goals. The Fun Committee is a group formed to help ensure that the company promotes social activities and to create a working environment that's fun, engaging and happy.

The company listens to its employees in many different ways. They have been IIP registered since 1999 and information gained from IIP assessments helps them to understand what their staff feel and think. From this they have implemented their cultural and management competencies. Listening skills are one of the company's key management competencies. The IIP assessments ensure that their management strategies are working, and employees are happy and motivated within the culture and organisation. The company also use an appraisal system that focuses on honest, two-way communication. Their appraisals are not tick-box exercises; they are in-depth discussions with employees about their development needs and career goals. The Fun Committee is a group formed to help ensure that the company promotes social activities and to create a working environment that's fun, engaging and happy.

People are motivated and engaged by working with other smart people. The way managers implement this is to not compromise during recruitment, and keep a consistently high level of motivated and intelligent staff.

People are motivated and engaged by working with other smart people. The way managers implement this is to not compromise during recruitment, and keep a consistently high level of motivated and intelligent staff.

Christmas Party – it will always be top of the list. It is the event that all the staff look forward to.. We are City based and well aware of the fall in the number of companies holding Christmas parties over recent years. The MD of the company is proud to buck this trend, feeling that a party to show their appreciation, showcase success and say thank you for your efforts is not a luxury but a must. Year on year it is the most talked about event in the office with excitement building up weeks in advance. The company pays for food, drink and a DJ so all can let their hair down. In keeping with the family ethos of the company partners are also invited to come along and enjoy the festive cheer. Inevitably the budding singers who work for us provided some of the entertainment on the night which is always a highlight.

Within their organisation Career Legal have several awards which are designed to reward success, diligence, team and personal effort and going above and beyond. All employees are eligible for nomination and are designed not just for the fee earners but also those in support positions. The rewards themselves come in various forms and usually are something the winner has requested which has led to a variety of gifts including a sofa as the winner had just moved house, a golf buggy someone had always wanted and a spa day because it was a treat. Career Legal feel that the option to choose the reward makes it more personal ensuring the gift is extra special as it is something the recipient truly wants and will enjoy all the more.

Caerphilly County Borough Council recognises that its employees are its most valuable asset and as a result it is strongly behind looking after the health and well-being of its employees. This is evidenced by the fact that the Corporate Management Team (CMT) are fully behind health and well-being initiatives and receive quarterly updates on the strategy, progress and initiatives that the Council runs. An Employee Health and Well-being Group has been established to develop and progress the strategy across the whole of the Council. The representatives of this group are cross Directorate and include representatives from the Council's recognised trade unions. High level briefings have also taken place to all Senior Officers within the Council, so that they have not only been made aware of the Employee Health and Well-being strategy but have also been briefed on the Corporate Health Standard. Another initiative to show how seriously the Council believes in the employee health and well-being agenda is the fact that all employees have been given time off during working time to attend employee health and well-being events.

Caerphilly County Borough Council is leading the way in the UK by offering hundreds of young people the opportunity to join an ambitious Apprenticeship and Training programme. Over the past year alone more than 230 young people have signed up to the popular scheme as a work placement, apprenticeship or trainee, helping them get onto the career ladder and gain valuable work experience. The scheme, called the 'Caerphilly Passport Programme' offers a journey for individuals through the various tiers of development. There are 4 tiers in total ranging from unpaid placements to paid employees at a graduate level in specialist areas such as social work, environmental health, ecology or waste management. The authority is working closely with a number of providers including the Job Centre Plus to bring more people through who are unemployed to help them find sustainable employment. Caerphilly County Borough Council is keen to further develop the Passport Programme and provide potential opportunities for young people in the area to be able access quality work placements and training opportunities that can lead to positive outcomes.

Over the years, Business Stream has grown and changed in response to customers' needs and market developments. To help staff to fully engage with and understand their business strategy, they literally drew them a picture – the big picture. The big picture is a visual interpretation of their business strategy as a music festival. More specifically, its objectives are to ensure people recognise and feel valued for their contribution, break down silos, create a sustainable process for engagement, keep people in the business focused on key priorities and have some fun. The festival is all about making fans, of our staff as well as our customers, by highlighting what benefits they offer and how their teams work together internally to deliver them.

Within their learning and development programme, Business Stream put a strong focus on developing leadership skills and nurturing the talent and potential of their existing staff. Over the past three years, 58 people have been on the Talent Stream training programme and this year they introduced an eLearning portal to give even more staff access to development programmes. Business Stream also introduced a two-year management trainee programme called the Business Stream apprentice. The apprentice gives four individuals the opportunity to rotate across all the functions in their business, gaining insight into how Business Stream works from every angle. They also receive training and development, mentoring from senior management and coaching throughout.

BIU provide subsidised gym membership, free fruit, sports clubs and counselling helplines.

BIU provide subsidised gym membership, free fruit, sports clubs and counselling helplines.

Each year the company hold their annual ‘Boxwood essence awards' as part of their April Away Day to celebrate those who are outstanding role-models and are held in high esteem by their peers for their actions and/or behaviours. Whilst there are prizes for the winners, the primary purpose is to recognise and celebrate individual and team contributions over the last year and to engage all of their people in the nominations process.

June 2012 saw another of Boxwood's legendary Summer Fun Day weekends – a sociable and fun weekend to thank their employees and their families for their effort and support during the year. This year the company took over Tylney Hall in Hampshire and managed to dodge most of the rain! The highlights were: a treasure hunt in the grounds of the hotel for the children, whilst ‘grown-ups' sampled fine canapés and champagne in a fantastic walled-garden, a fantastic hog-roast and BBQ accompanied by live entertainers – a roving magician, caricaturist, Barber Shop Quartet and late-evening live music. Even the ‘little ones' were kept entertained later with their own movie room before being swept away to bed by the babysitters. On Sunday they had an event-packed day of fun including: hovercraft racing, Segways, bunjee trampolines, bouncy castles, cake decorating, canapé making, face-painting - to name but a few! After a lazy lunch and more activities, families then made their way home on the Sunday afternoon.

Long service awards - This is an annual event which rewards and recognises staff contribution through long service, loyalty and commitment. At the annual Long Service Awards Banquet, Botanic Inns recognises 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years service, through the awarding of additional holidays, presentation jewellery, holidays and cash rewards. This event is attended by staff receiving the awards, their partners and the Senior Management Team. To recognise the importance of this event and to emphasise the contribution made by staff, the Lord Mayor is invited to say a special word of thanks and to underline the part that staff play, not only toward company success but also to the community in which they work.

The company held its Annual “Celebrate Your Success” event which celebrated and recognised training achievement and individual staff development. This event was attended by over 200 staff who undertook a variety of training programmes ranging from customer services to professional cookery. Staff who attended the event were addressed by the Managing Director who personally thanked each member of staff and awarded certificates to mark their achievements. The Celebrate Your Success event was also attended by a representative of the Pubs Federation who emphasised the importance of the Companies' reputation, not only within the trade but also in the wider community in which it operates. Attendees at this event had the opportunity to meet staff from different areas of the business and to see for themselves, how they as a staff team which is responsible for the continued success of the Company. Feedback from staff in terms of the “Feel Good Factor” has been excellent and it has resulted in an increase in morale as demonstrated in this year's annual survey.

Visitors to Boots' Support Office in Nottingham are greeted by a “Hall of Fame” that extends along numerous walls. This shows the names and faces of the hundreds of their colleagues in the Stores, Support Office, Logistics teams and Opticians who have been recognised for their exceptional performance. The achievements of these individuals and teams are celebrated annually at the company ‘Best of the Best' awards and whilst not everyone in the business can attend these events, Boots make sure everyone gets to hear about their achievements through cascades and magazine articles that follow soon afterwards helping showcase the great work that goes on across their business.

In 2012 thousands of Boots' colleagues and customers all over the country took part in events to raise money and awareness for Macmillan Cancer Support. These events included climbing mountains, running marathons, a virtual cycle ride from Nottingham to Monaco on exercise bikes, walking Hadrian's Wall and the Welsh coastal path. Their ambition is to cover 290,000 miles – one mile for each person diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK. Macmillan's Big Walk at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire on 8 September was Boots' biggest event yet. They promoted the walk through a variety of communications, including an invite from their CEO and donated £10 for every colleague who signed up. Over 1,400 people took part, including the entire Executive team. Over 50 Boots colleagues helped as volunteers.

The Club organises and facilitates many events and opportunities throughout the year, predominantly aimed at their service users who are disadvantaged children and young people. These events benefit the whole of Bolton and its many highly deprived communities and although the events require lots of hard work and additional voluntary hours from staff, they are hugely enjoyable for all. A perfect example of this was Christmas 2011, when the Club's Staff and Volunteers made Christmas Lunch for 100 disadvantaged children and their families, complete with Father Christmas and a present for each young person and also Christmas hamper for each family. It was a fantastic and overwhelmingly worthwhile day for all staff and volunteers, local business donated funds and resources free of charge, and of course the children and their families.

Bolton Lads and Girls Club have created a Staff Forum, which has a representative from each department and ensures the majority of employees have the opportunity to influence change within the Club.

BMS introduced a number of new Well Being initiatives in 2012 and these included the subsidised funding of a well being activity and an annual health assessment. The comprehensive health assessments were held on site and each employee received a personalised health report giving the overall status of their well being and advice and recommendations on appropriate individual health targets and ways to maintain or improve their health. Both options were well received and take up was higher than anticipated. The activity funding was attractive because it allows individuals to do an activity of their personal choice rather than being limited to gym-based options and the health assessment was attractive because it was convenient to schedule in a welcoming environment and only took an hour out of the employee's day.

BMS introduced a number of new Well Being initiatives in 2012 and these included the subsidised funding of a well being activity and an annual health assessment. The comprehensive health assessments were held on site and each employee received a personalised health report giving the overall status of their well being and advice and recommendations on appropriate individual health targets and ways to maintain or improve their health. Both options were well received and take up was higher than anticipated. The activity funding was attractive because it allows individuals to do an activity of their personal choice rather than being limited to gym-based options and the health assessment was attractive because it was convenient to schedule in a welcoming environment and only took an hour out of the employee's day.

Avanta has a monthly team-based incentive scheme that seeks to reward employees collectively for achieving increases in performance. The main aim of the scheme to increase the number of job starts that can be sustained into claimed outcomes and sustainments. Each branch is set a monthly target based on a benchmark of their previous three months' performance. Performance is measured by the number of job starts, including first and subsequent jobs, as well as the number of starts on the Enterprise programme. In each of the five regions, the branch that demonstrates the highest level of improvement against their benchmark will receive the incentive. Measuring improvement on performance means that small branches have an equal chance of winning compared to their large branches. Each eligible member of a winning branch will receive £400.

In November 2011 Avanta held a Managers Conference for all Line Managers across the business. It was at this event when they officially launched their new vision and values, thus it provided the perfect opportunity for the Chairman and Managing Director to be clear about the strategy and the future direction of the business. All the Managers broke out into groups to discuss how they would practically implement the vision and values. This enabled the Managers to think creatively and share ideas with their peer group. Avanta also had an external motivational speaker at the conference, who spoke about their personal journey, to inspire their Managers to strive to excel in everything they do. In the evening the Senior Leadership team hosted a dinner and dance for all the delegates. This was particularly enjoyable, as the Managers were able to socialise outside of business hours and network with their peer group from different parts of the organisation.

Astbury Marsden aim to continually recognise and reward employees and they provide a number of incentives: Consultant and Contribution of the Month As part of their monthyl update meetings, they recognise the Consultant who has billed the most as well as the person in the business who has made an all round contribution, this can be a sales or support person. Quarterly High Achievers Lunch Anyone who has billed £75k in perm fees or completed 9 contract deals in the quarter as well as the person who has made the biggest contribution to the business is treated to the MD's quarterly incentive lunch. This is an all expenses paid afternoon out of the office to enjoy lunch at one of the finest resturants and it promises to be an afternoon to remember!

Astbury Marsden think it's important to continually invest in their people to equip them with the skills to always be at the top of their game. The company have been recognised with a Bronze Investors in People award.

Andrew Clinton, who has been with the firm for 22 years is a highly respected commercial litigator in his own right. He became the managing partner in 2006. His management style is open and egalitarian. Everyone is encouraged to ask direct questions at any time and is assured of a straight answer. He works in an open-plan environment and will make time for everyone, regardless of their role within the firm. A true champion of the firm's strategy, Andrew is constantly seeking to refine and develop the company's approach to market and the delivery of their services to ensure that asb law remain a sustainable, successful enterprise.

As an organisation asb law are committed to the well being of their people. This is apparent by their very effective family friendly policy which allows for flexible working/homeworking/flexi hours. Over the past two years every flexible working requests received have been granted and many of their people work from home or work an informal flexi hour arrangement. The company recruit part time employees, which is unusual in the type of environment they work in and have a sabbatical scheme to support those individuals who wish to pursue other interests for a period of time. They also offer first class benefits including a health care cash plan, which focuses on supporting their people for common ailments/conditions, provided for all staff. Cover can also be extended, at cost, to their families. A significant proportion of staff also have private medical insurance. The company encourage and support a variety of sporting activities from badminton, to 5-a-side football, to beach volleyball and operate a ‘Cycle to work' scheme.

In the UK Appsense hosted their kick off in July which was attended by the majority of the UK employees and the EMEA/ROW staff. It was a great day despite the rain - a very competitive afternoon of their own version of the Olympics followed by a wild west night and the first ever presentation of long service awards to staff with 10 years service. It was an emotional and highly motivating event.

Appsense hold fortnightly round ups - in person in the UK office - where between 3-6 people will stand up and give a brief 'round up' of key news/activities/thanks etc. to all staff. After this the company expect and get feedback, questions and suggestions from staff on what could be done better either fed back directly to the people standing up or through the senior management team.

AmicusHorizon launched their new talent management programme – ‘Shooting Stars'. The scheme is designed to develop and challenge the organisation's best performing and high potential staff. They put the applicants through their paces at a high energy, challenging assessment centre and recruited the best performers to join the programme. Their Shooting Stars have access to a fantastic range of development activities, networking opportunities, and resources. They get an external coach and an internal mentor from the Executive Management Team. The Shooting Stars get priority on the organisation's Professional Qualification scheme, if there's a certificated programme they want to do. They also get a personal development allowance of £1000 to spend on training events, seminars or conferences of their choice. As if that isn't enough, they're involved in an organisation-wide and/or strategic project! This has exposed them to other areas of the business and more strategic thinking.

AmicusHorizon state their people constantly challenge them as an organisation to rise to the occasion – and what better occasion to rise to than the London 2012 Olympics? Claire, a Customer Service Team Leader at the time, pitched ambitiously that the organisation should hold their very own AmicusHorizon Games. With her appointed panel, Claire raised internal and external funding to make her vision to life. And so the weekend of July 7/8 was a weekend of sporting highlights - the British Grand Prix, the Wimbledon finals, and their very own AmicusHorizon games! Everyone got into the spirit of the day, proving they've got healthy hearts and minds. The AmicusHorizon band provided the entertainment and BBQ refreshments kept everyone's strength up! Thanks went to everyone who attended the AH games and made it such a success – especially Claire. And incidentally, they have now promoted Claire to Customer Services Manager!

Alongside the introduction of a resource library which contains textbooks on a variety of subjects which all employees can utilise to take ownership of their ongoing professional development. As a business the company long since focussed on the growing from within and ensuring that junior employees receive the support and coaching they require to succeed. However, the senior managers may have been slightly overlooked and as such the Management Training Programme was developed to ensure that they too receive ongoing professional development opportunities.

Alongside the introduction of a resource library which contains textbooks on a variety of subjects which all employees can utilise to take ownership of their ongoing professional development. As a business the company long since focussed on the growing from within and ensuring that junior employees receive the support and coaching they require to succeed. However, the senior managers may have been slightly overlooked and as such the Management Training Programme was developed to ensure that they too receive ongoing professional development opportunities.

Adecco Scotland contingent hold an awards night each year, this year marking a social event to build team spirit. As well as being a fantastic team building morale night with 95% attendance of the region the team were able to share success with the event being talked about for weeks after. The awards are a mixture of serious and fun events. This was paid for by the company with a budget of £1000 given to each zone.

Adecco Scotland contingent hold an awards night each year, this year marking a social event to build team spirit. As well as being a fantastic team building morale night with 95% attendance of the region the team were able to share success with the event being talked about for weeks after. The awards are a mixture of serious and fun events. This was paid for by the company with a budget of £1000 given to each zone.

Add People have various social events throughout the year. One memorable event was in November 2011 a team went Paint Balling. Ideas for the various social events are fed back via consultation with the employee reps committee. It was extremely enjoyable as most of the group had never taken part in paint balling previously, and again working in two teams which were mixed from all the different business areas, it allowed individuals to put a name to a face and get to know others from other departments, which ultimately breaks down barriers and aids communication within the business.

Add People now have HR in place through various initiatives and they are now improving their employee wellbeing. Intiatives e.g. fruit trial to encourage staff to eat more fruit. Money donated for the fruit was given to the nominated charity CAFT. Offering advice on giving up smoking, communications,, Cycle To Work Scheme, enhanced company Sick Pay Policy.

At ACPO Criminal Records Office, when staff return after a long period of sickness, they refer them to Occupational Health. For any staff who disclose they have problems at home that may impact their work, the organisation offers them the assistance of the Employee Support Line. Where necessary, they also make reasonable adjustments to enable them to work effectively.

The organisation allows all employees to take 2 days per annum to volunteer for local community projects. ACPO has assisted the local school with their reading and core skills programme, they have cleared areas of scrubland and have worked in nature reserves and planted trees. This is an extremely valuable experience for staff and ensures that the organisation gives back to their local community.

Acclaim Housing Group state that due to the dispersed nature of their workforce, often social events are combined with work events. Last year during the Olympics, a number of sport themed events were held, one example being a Family Fun Day in Harborough and Lutterworth. Members of the team took part in traditional sports day activities such as family tug of war, football and sack races. Colleagues really enjoyed spending time together and as this event was combined with a customer event, they valued the opportunity to meet and talk with customers. The organisation's customer services team, who often are at the end of the phone but don't meet customers face to face, really found the experience to be valuable.

Acclaim Housing Group state that due to the dispersed nature of their workforce, often social events are combined with work events. Last year during the Olympics, a number of sport themed events were held, one example being a Family Fun Day in Harborough and Lutterworth. Members of the team took part in traditional sports day activities such as family tug of war, football and sack races. Colleagues really enjoyed spending time together and as this event was combined with a customer event, they valued the opportunity to meet and talk with customers. The organisation's customer services team, who often are at the end of the phone but don't meet customers face to face, really found the experience to be valuable.

Sally Hutfield, Director of Operations, was invited to do a 'back to the floor' shift in one of their Direct Access Hostels. Although Sally has 'worked her way up' through the ranks, it's been some time since she's done a night shift as a support worker. When she was invited to 'give it a go' however, she jumped at the chance, booked herself in and rolled up her sleeves. In the end it proved to be a challenging night but a valuable one. Working with vulnerable young people at night in a homeless hostel presents any number of stories and scenarios but Sally rose to the occasion and used the chance to link in with staff there to hear what their issues were, ideas they had and to talk about how things were going or what the wider organisation was doing. Sally keeps a blog on the staff intranet and used the opportunity to write about what she'd been up to. It was brilliantly received and people loved the fact that people 'at the top' were prepared to roll up their sleeves and 'give it a go'. It showed that the senior managers were far from out of touch, knew what challenges were being faced by support staff and still had the skills and understanding to do the shop floor work. It had quite a significant impact on staff as they were able to read about and comment on Sally's experiences.

This year, they have invested hugely in introducing e-learning across the organisation. 15 packages have been launched since May 2011 and since then, 898 modules have been passed. Feedback has been complimentary and positive and has allowed for a more flexible approach to learning allowing a dispersed and busy workforce to access specialist training at a time and place that suits them. This has had the advantage of reducing their costs whilst ensuring staff are engaged and motivated as well as being 'up to date' on training. The content of these packages are very interactive, fun and informative. An example of the difference this makes is that one service even has a learning competition which sees staff competing for the best scores and most modules successfully completed. This has really seen a transformation where staff see learning as a fun and essential part of their role.

The staff Winter Celebration Event is held each year in December which combines the Trust's staff awards and a Christmas party. 250 employees attend the event which is a mixture of information about the Trust, a celebration of the year and the awarding of staff awards. Staff take part in organising the event and some staff take part in the event such as singing and games. All staff who attend receive free transport to and from the event, vouchers for drinks, a meal and a day off.

The Trust has launched the Willow Futures Academy which provides training and work opportunities for local school leavers and unemployed people. This was set up in response to the withdrawal of the Future Job Funds programme and an organisational need for succession planning especially within the Property Services Department. The academy provides trainee ships, apprenticeships and work opportunities. The Trust with its partners Parkway Green Housing Trust and Job Centre plus provides opportunities for unemployed local people to increase their skills and experience, offer entry to a talent pool whereby they can apply for the work opportunities and placements within the organisation. The Trust has funded this by savings elsewhere in the organisation.

A key message from Jack, the Managing Director shortly follows the fortnightly Senior Management Team meetings to share with employee discussions and decisions made. This promotes transparency and the cascade of important information throughout the Council. He demonstrates through his actions how he wishes to be fairly treated alongside all employees; for example, when the Council tightened up entitlements to payments of car allowances for budget pressures, he relinquished his entitlement to an essential user car allowance and also wrote to the Leader of the Council indicating that because of the economic climate he will not accept any increase in salary for the next 2 years and that, even then, any increase would be subject to the Council achieving its programmed savings for the next 2 financial years.

A key message from Jack, the Managing Director shortly follows the fortnightly Senior Management Team meetings to share with employee discussions and decisions made. This promotes transparency and the cascade of important information throughout the Council. He demonstrates through his actions how he wishes to be fairly treated alongside all employees; for example, when the Council tightened up entitlements to payments of car allowances for budget pressures, he relinquished his entitlement to an essential user car allowance and also wrote to the Leader of the Council indicating that because of the economic climate he will not accept any increase in salary for the next 2 years and that, even then, any increase would be subject to the Council achieving its programmed savings for the next 2 financial years.

In addition, RCHL internal trainers make arrangements to customise workshops for individual staff teams and groups to best reflect their needs. Staff may also identify specific external courses that meet a particular need and arrangements are made for individuals to attend for example, National Assistive Technology/Telecare training, Developing Outcome monitoring. They are currently piloting a number of e-learning programmes focusing on core mandatory training, to ensure staff are regularly updated, for example Fire safety, Food Hygiene, Manual Handling Staff that wish to undertake an NVQ qualification in Care must have completed all the relevant induction and developmental training before they will be considered to undertake an NVQ with RCHL. The delivery of NVQs to staff is subject to funds received from the external providers. However, funding the Leadership & Management in Care (LMC) (formerly known as the Registered Managers Award) and NVQ4 in Care will be a priority for the organisation. RCHL also supports and funds the Learning Disability Qualification accredited via the Open College Network, the Leadership in Management and NVQ4 in Care qualifications. For staff who already hold an NVQ Level 2 in Care and wish to progress onto the Level 3. This will be subject to the scheme manager's approval in line with the service development plan. All successful applicants will be given support and guidance for attainment of their care qualification from their approved LSC training provider. Senior Management Team continue to source funding opportunities, with the support of external providers and are committed to staff gaining an appropriate qualification that will meet the organisation's core values and CQC requirements. RCHL are also a recognised training Centre with the Open College Network and have reached the highest standards enabling reassessment to be every two years.

In addition, RCHL internal trainers make arrangements to customise workshops for individual staff teams and groups to best reflect their needs. Staff may also identify specific external courses that meet a particular need and arrangements are made for individuals to attend for example, National Assistive Technology/Telecare training, Developing Outcome monitoring. They are currently piloting a number of e-learning programmes focusing on core mandatory training, to ensure staff are regularly updated, for example Fire safety, Food Hygiene, Manual Handling Staff that wish to undertake an NVQ qualification in Care must have completed all the relevant induction and developmental training before they will be considered to undertake an NVQ with RCHL. The delivery of NVQs to staff is subject to funds received from the external providers. However, funding the Leadership & Management in Care (LMC) (formerly known as the Registered Managers Award) and NVQ4 in Care will be a priority for the organisation. RCHL also supports and funds the Learning Disability Qualification accredited via the Open College Network, the Leadership in Management and NVQ4 in Care qualifications. For staff who already hold an NVQ Level 2 in Care and wish to progress onto the Level 3. This will be subject to the scheme manager's approval in line with the service development plan. All successful applicants will be given support and guidance for attainment of their care qualification from their approved LSC training provider. Senior Management Team continue to source funding opportunities, with the support of external providers and are committed to staff gaining an appropriate qualification that will meet the organisation's core values and CQC requirements. RCHL are also a recognised training Centre with the Open College Network and have reached the highest standards enabling reassessment to be every two years.

We have implemented a move from Nationally to Locally agreed terms and conditions. Giving us more flexibility to agree pay awards and shape our own benefits and T&Cs. We are also implementing a contribution pay scheme giving employees the benefit of having good performance rewarded. We held a very extensive consultaiton process to get our message across to employees, resulting in all our staff except one agreeing to accept our proposals.

We held a staff BBQ on 9th September 2011 that all staff, family and friends were invited to attend. Locally sourced food proved a hit with many coming back for extra helpings. Games and other fun actives were arranged proving for a very enjoyable evening.

Last Christmas The Children's Society had a carol singing initiative in their London office where they attempted to raise funds for their charity amongst the local community and shoppers.

The theme of this October's Senior Management Team Roadshows was the 2020 Strategy, providing staff with the opportunity to hear as well as contribute to the goals and vision of the organisation. Senior Management asked staff what their involvement means to them giving them the chance to be more involved in preparing plans with colleagues on operational delivery. Nine roadshows took place across England in six locations; London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Exeter and Southampton. A survey was also sent out to staff to directly feed into the strategy. After staff consultation over childcare costs, The Children's Society has now implemented childcare vouchers for working parents. They can save parents up to £933 a year. The vouchers are a scheme where staff exchange part of their salary for tax and NI-free childcare. Staff have fed into organisational wellbeing and set out their requirements for good occupational health initiatives. The Children's Society has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to the health of its staff and now offers a confidential, free counselling service available to all staff, volunteers and their families. Many factors, including outside work may increase stress. Help has been arranged for free access to a specialist DAS Counselling Helpline. A voluntary employee discount scheme, Xtras has been introduced with offers spanning everyday essentials such as groceries, fuel, clothing and holidays that could make a big difference to staff's bank balance. Xtras is part of the UK's biggest and most generous employee discount scheme.

Fishbowl reward scheme - The purpose of this scheme is to instantly reward behaviour that demonstrates their core CII values and /or shows development of personal competencies. It acts as an incentive as well as a form of recognition. Each department has a 'fishbowl' (lucky dip) containing tokens for a number of rewards such as; cinema tickets, lunch out, half day leave, shopping vouchers etc. A total of 10 rewards are placed in the bowl for each department (and are refreshed as used). When a member of staff is considered, by their manager or department head, to have excelled in demonstrating one of the values through their work, the staff member is invited to pick a reward. This reward scheme runs in addition to the regular bonus scheme and instant recognition (monetary) reward scheme. The scheme has proved popular with both staff and managers being well used with 63 rewards given since the scheme was launched in August 2010. The instant nature of the scheme and the fun and social nature of the rewards marks this scheme out from other rewards on offer in the organisation. It encourages staff to do their best every day and in every part of their work, not just when working on high profile or lengthy projects, and realise that this is recognised and valued.

Fishbowl reward scheme - The purpose of this scheme is to instantly reward behaviour that demonstrates their core CII values and /or shows development of personal competencies. It acts as an incentive as well as a form of recognition. Each department has a 'fishbowl' (lucky dip) containing tokens for a number of rewards such as; cinema tickets, lunch out, half day leave, shopping vouchers etc. A total of 10 rewards are placed in the bowl for each department (and are refreshed as used). When a member of staff is considered, by their manager or department head, to have excelled in demonstrating one of the values through their work, the staff member is invited to pick a reward. This reward scheme runs in addition to the regular bonus scheme and instant recognition (monetary) reward scheme. The scheme has proved popular with both staff and managers being well used with 63 rewards given since the scheme was launched in August 2010. The instant nature of the scheme and the fun and social nature of the rewards marks this scheme out from other rewards on offer in the organisation. It encourages staff to do their best every day and in every part of their work, not just when working on high profile or lengthy projects, and realise that this is recognised and valued.

Taunton School hold an end of year barbecue and farewell drinks. There is also The Armed man Concert at Wells Cathedral for everyone to attend.

John Newton leads with enthusiasm, energy and belief in what Tauanton School do.

Claud Regnard, one of Consultants has just received a Lifetime Achievement award from Help the Hospices - the national umbrella organisation representing the hospice sector. Claud is renowned regionally, nationally and internationally for his expertise in specialist palliative care. He is also known for sharing his knowledge and learning with colleagues within palliative care. Claud has devised A Guide to Symptom Relief in Palliative Medicine, which is used by professionals aross the world, as a bedside textbook. Claud helped establish the UK's first Macmillan Nursing post for people with Learning Difficulty and they pioneered the development of DisDAT (Disability Distress Assessment Tool). It has been validated by Northumbria University and is now used by over 15 LD and mental health trusts, as well as by university research teams. It is included in the Mencap website and has its own website – www.disdat.co.uk In 1999 Claud developed CLiP. CLiP - Current Learning in Palliative Care – is a flexible education programme aimed at healthcare professionals. CLiP is now widely used in palliative care settings. It is available free online at www.helpthehospices.org and has been formally evaluated by Open University, which showed that it is an effective means of delivering learning and improving learning outcomes. Finally, Claud also devised a clinical response to the potential threat of ‘Pandemic Flu', which was shared with other hospices and and subsequently shaped Help the Hospice advice, as his paper was made available online to all members during the Swine Flu crisis in 2009.

At St Oswalds they believe wellbeing begins with the line manager/staff member relationship, underpinned by a range of support tools that can be accessed by either the line manager or member of staff. Contact and dialogue through one to one sessions and team meetings means that staff wellbeing is monitored on a regular basis. To support this the St Oswalds Staff Support leaflet is issued personally to each new member of staff by the HR Director when they join St Oswalds. She talks through in detail the range of support mechansisms in place to support them during their employment. Two examples are access to complementary therapies delivered by volunteer therapists at very low cost, appointments at end of day to fit in with working patterns, making use of the skills of volunteers. St Oswalds also offer referrals to external counselling with no questions asked about reason for referral so they remain highly confidential. Up to six sessions are offered but can be extended.

There is an open door policy by managers and a robust staff forum chaired by the CEO who can initiate meetings with management. Last year, St Nicholas delegated response identification to the various directorate groups. Results are displayed in chart format around the building. Actions became an agenda item on Staff Forum and Management Meetings.

St Nicholas Hospice are a charity and many of their social events are linked to fundraising. These activities do bring staff from all disciplines together in either participating in the event or helping or organising. They also hold an annual Christmas review where different departments including the Trustees secretly prepare acts. These are then performed to the whole organisation, patients and volunteers and this year's was another hilarious success.

The Leadership and Management Development Programme (L&MDP) supports managers to develop their skills and knowledge. This programme provides first line and aspiring middle managers and more experienced managers with the necessary skills to progress within the organisation. This programme has provided the skills and knowledge for managers to move into senior management roles when opportunities arise.

To re-open the town centre following a programme of extensive improvements, a Pancake Race was held to raise funds for Sport Relief and Red Nose Day. Over 30 teams from the Council, outsourced services, partnership organisations and local businesses competed for the winners frying pan trophy. Teams forged new friendships, strengthened existing ones, honed their competitive rivalry and had great fun on their way to the podium. It was a great day for all the competitors and spectators.

At RHP they believe true leadership happens in the moment between people and there is no one way of leading. Leadership is about ‘making sense of things' in a memorable way to gain commitment rather than compliance where employees follow willingly with energy, enthusiasm, passion and a sense of ownership. Exceptional managers work hard to bring collective intelligence and develop leaders at all levels within the organisation. Their EMT recognise the importance of ‘keeping it real', being connected and getting help from others. Their egos don't lead the organisation, their sense of perspective, clarity of thought, supporting others by providing a great place to work and creating the environment for people to be successful is what makes the real difference at RHP. This works because they have shared values, openness, trust and respect for other's opinions.

At RHP they believe true leadership happens in the moment between people and there is no one way of leading. Leadership is about ‘making sense of things' in a memorable way to gain commitment rather than compliance where employees follow willingly with energy, enthusiasm, passion and a sense of ownership. Exceptional managers work hard to bring collective intelligence and develop leaders at all levels within the organisation. Their EMT recognise the importance of ‘keeping it real', being connected and getting help from others. Their egos don't lead the organisation, their sense of perspective, clarity of thought, supporting others by providing a great place to work and creating the environment for people to be successful is what makes the real difference at RHP. This works because they have shared values, openness, trust and respect for other's opinions.

For the past two years all staff have received the same amount of pay award irrespective of their level within the organisation. Plus Dane also operate a 'Neighbourhood Hero Award' which staff and managers nominate a staff member to receive. Along with a Neighbourhood Hero card, they receive Marks and Spencers vouchers thanking them for their involvement in a particular piece of work or for them going the extra mile.

Live Your Dream was introduced in 2009 in response to staff survey that indicated people felt there was not enough career development support in place. It encompasses a number of career progression workshops on completing applications, interview skills or managing your career, along with bitesize briefings and work shadowing opportunities and Colleague Swaps to increase cross team working and knowledge sharing. Plus Dane introduced Countdown to Success to offer particular support to those on short term contracts (e.g. an apprentice, maternity leave cover) and it gives the skills and confidence to take the next step in job search whether it is with Plus Dane or another organisations. It is a stretching but supportive programme where participants spend two days building their confidence and appreciation of their own skills and then Plus Dane invite local employers to come to a presentation event where they have the chance to pitch themselves to another employer, gathering feedback on the impression they make. Some apprentices were able to take volunteer work that has led on to new career opportunities.

Staff are able to access corporate membership of the local leisure centre and this is very popular with individuals. The increased flexibility around working hours helps staff use these leisure facilities and a number of staff exercise, before, during and after work. The organisation pays for level one of the Simply Health scheme, a cash back health savings scheme. They have also introduced a counselling service for staff which provides for up to six free counselling sessions for staff. Pembrokeshire Housing Association have entered into a contract with a local Occupational Health service which provides valuable advice to help support staff remain in, and return to work during illness.

Staff are able to access corporate membership of the local leisure centre and this is very popular with individuals. The increased flexibility around working hours helps staff use these leisure facilities and a number of staff exercise, before, during and after work. The organisation pays for level one of the Simply Health scheme, a cash back health savings scheme. They have also introduced a counselling service for staff which provides for up to six free counselling sessions for staff. Pembrokeshire Housing Association have entered into a contract with a local Occupational Health service which provides valuable advice to help support staff remain in, and return to work during illness.

All teams within the business hold regular team meetings to communicate and share information. To combat silo working, teams often invite colleagues from other teams to carry out training and provide updates at team meetings. In addition, managers are required to carry out regular 1:1 meetings with their employees to provide feedback and support. Managers within the Trust also encourage social events such as team lunches, birthday meals and evenings out to celebrate achievements and for fun!

All teams within the business hold regular team meetings to communicate and share information. To combat silo working, teams often invite colleagues from other teams to carry out training and provide updates at team meetings. In addition, managers are required to carry out regular 1:1 meetings with their employees to provide feedback and support. Managers within the Trust also encourage social events such as team lunches, birthday meals and evenings out to celebrate achievements and for fun!

P3's annual management conference had a really beneficial impact on employee engagement last year, impacting not only on the managers and supervisory staff who attended, but this also filtered through to all employees. This annual two day event runs on a theme of all levels of managerial staff being involved in updating and reviewing P3's strategic plan. This ensures that all staff are engaged in the plan and understand its purpose and aims. It also means that their plan is relevant to each team and department on a local level as they have been involved in it from the very beginning. This then follows through to teams through team meetings, feedback events and the JCC so staff are aware of where their service fits in to the plan, and how they can impact, both as a team and as individuals.

P3's annual management conference had a really beneficial impact on employee engagement last year, impacting not only on the managers and supervisory staff who attended, but this also filtered through to all employees. This annual two day event runs on a theme of all levels of managerial staff being involved in updating and reviewing P3's strategic plan. This ensures that all staff are engaged in the plan and understand its purpose and aims. It also means that their plan is relevant to each team and department on a local level as they have been involved in it from the very beginning. This then follows through to teams through team meetings, feedback events and the JCC so staff are aware of where their service fits in to the plan, and how they can impact, both as a team and as individuals.

Octavia Housing set up Octavia Foundation - an independent charity which has been running for many years. The aim of the Foundation is to improve the lives of individuals and communities where Octavia Housing operates. The Foundation operates numerous projects and grant programmes that help to meet one of 5 aims: to engage with young people and children i.e. through award winning media projects, to help with training and jobs i.e. they run an in-house employment and training programme, to involve the community i.e. organise a community festival and Christmas parties for the elderly, to advise on money and debt providing debt advice workshops and welfare benefits advice and support. The Foundation also operates 21 charity shops across London, which takes on volunteers and funds the projects of the charity.

The leadership programme is a very significant move to develop the Directors group and the senior management team. This commenced in May 2011 and is scheduled for completion in April 2012. Broadly, it started with the organisation's vision to ‘create an organisation that tenants really value', provide workshops which have been considering how to live the vision and has included for the first time at Octavia, training on and setting up Action Learning Sets for all participants. Other areas being covered include exploring ways in which to unlock passion, enthusiasm and energy and identifying ways to develop the skills to make it happen. All participants have developed plans for individual projects which they will lead and which are scheduled for completion by April 2012. These should all add value to the organisation but the key objective is to develop leadership skills in tandem with external coaching, which is available from our external facilitator and coach.

The organisation recently won Student Union of the Year and Northumbria Student Union rewarded their staff with a celebration party. This celebration party highlights the hard work that has been put in by their officers, staff and volunteers alike over many years and how exceptional their Student Union really is. This celebration party recognised Northumbria Student Union's ability to deliver for their members and renewed excitement about how they will excel in the future.

The organisation recently won Student Union of the Year and Northumbria Student Union rewarded their staff with a celebration party. This celebration party highlights the hard work that has been put in by their officers, staff and volunteers alike over many years and how exceptional their Student Union really is. This celebration party recognised Northumbria Student Union's ability to deliver for their members and renewed excitement about how they will excel in the future.

As a publically funded organisation NHS Improvement is not permitted to spend taxpayers' money on the provision of social events for staff.

As a publically funded organisation NHS Improvement is not permitted to spend taxpayers' money on the provision of social events for staff.

All staff are contractually obliged to participate in the annual appraisal process and are required as part of peformance review to undertake a minimum of 30 hours of CPD each year. This continues to develop the individual and maintain their subject or relevant area currency. The college appraisal scheme is designed to encourage the member of staff to reflect on their personal contribution each year, to set measurable objectives linked to the development of their area and future business objectives and to identify their training needs which enable the achievement of the objectives. This ensures currency for staff, improves the individual's market worth whilst meeting organisational objectives. Subject and Operational Managers identify the development needs for their areas based on their objectives for the operating cycle. As part of induction, individual training needs are identified for new members of staff. Core competencies are set by the college and new staff are assessed against these to identify early needs.

All staff are contractually obliged to participate in the annual appraisal process and are required as part of peformance review to undertake a minimum of 30 hours of CPD each year. This continues to develop the individual and maintain their subject or relevant area currency. The college appraisal scheme is designed to encourage the member of staff to reflect on their personal contribution each year, to set measurable objectives linked to the development of their area and future business objectives and to identify their training needs which enable the achievement of the objectives. This ensures currency for staff, improves the individual's market worth whilst meeting organisational objectives. Subject and Operational Managers identify the development needs for their areas based on their objectives for the operating cycle. As part of induction, individual training needs are identified for new members of staff. Core competencies are set by the college and new staff are assessed against these to identify early needs.

Luminus encourages all employees to be healthy. Their impressive suite of health and wellbeing benefits include an online personal health management system, subsidised gym membership, pension and non-contributory health plan (recently expanded to employees' children). The company believe the most effective wellbeing tool they have is their flexible working policy. Whether it is offering bank workers term-time contracts, or enabling full-time employees to work around rush hour traffic, everyone benefits from this approach. It also ensures that managers are able to monitor their employees' working hours, ensuring a healthy work-life balance. Employees can accrue time and take up to an extra 13 days leave a year, on top of their already generous leave allowance. For some employees, i.e. those with more than five years service, this can amount to up to 43 days (excluding public holidays). Staff are keen to stay with Luminus because of the interest they take in their health and wellbeing, resulting in: an increase in staff retention level to 96.1% (2009: 88.8%), a 40% reduction in sickness absence to 3.4% (8.3% in 2009), and increased staff satisfaction and motivation as evidenced through their 2010 employee survey results.

During Summer 2011 Chan held Premium Brand Employer meetings for all employees over a lunch hour so he could hear views on how they can achieve their 2020 Vision: The Road to Renewal. In these highly interactive weekly sessions he encouraged everyone to be open and honest in their feedback. These meetings greatly impacted on employee engagement as it underlined to all employees that the Senior Management Team were open to constructive feedback. Following these meetings various initiatives have been put in place, including integrating their trades team in their monthly staff conferences instead of holding a separate quarterly meeting for them.

LMH arranged an It's a Knock Out Competition against other Housing Associations. This was held on a Sunday and all staff attended bringing their families along for a fun packed day. The employees were put into teams and competed against other Housing Associations through a variety of assault courses and team tasks. Activities for children and those staff who came to support the event were also put on including hook a duck and other prize winning games. The event also raised a significant amount of money for our local charities.

The company currently have an annual staff focus awards whereby all staff are able to vote for staff and tenants for specific awards including Employee of the Year and Team Manager of the Year. Some of LMH's tenants and partners are also invited to attend these events and there are specific awards that staff can vote for tenants/partners. The Focus Awards are an important part of LMH's approach to recognising and celebrating the achievements of their staff.

The company have undertaken a number of opportunities to provide face to face contact and the opportunity for colleagues to ask questions and get answers as well as providing general feedback and input. One example of this is the lunch bag sessions run by the Chief Executive to involve all colleagues in the future direction of the Group. A number of departments have also run drop in sessions, such as ICT and Learning and Development to encourage individuals to resolve queries and get to know internal colleagues, other teams such as Finance are planning to follow suit. The company find that by offering flexible opportunities to come and ask questions in a local setting will encourage more colleagues to get involved with Group activities. In addition for those colleagues who may not want to contribute in a face to face setting they carry out a number of ad hoc surveys internally throughout the year on a variety of topics.

The company's managers are well respected within their individual team which is testimony to their fair but supportive outlook with colleagues. Managers consider succession within their teams and encourage individuals to make the most of development opportunities and support provided to get the best from the individuals and to keep them motivated. Through the appraisals and also the applications for the Leadership programme managers will indicate the next likely career move for the individual and will work things into the appraisal to support these ambitions.

In summer 2011 the company held an all staff event at the University's sport facilities to promote the facilities to encourage employees to sign up for membership. The event included dodgeball, swimming, 5 a side football, climbing wall, spinning, image consultancy, and walking tours amongst other things. For the last two years the company have also run an employee baking league. This has been particularly effective for engaging their staff in something fun at work , mixing with other people and encouraging them to take a break! In previous years they have offered an employee Wellbeing Week every January. Employees can participate in a number of healthy activities during their working time to improve their health, safety and wellbeing. Free fruit is also provided during the week. The idea for the week is that they provide free of charge taster sessions that employees can then choose to continue in their own time to improve their lifestyles.

In summer 2011 the company held an all staff event at the University's sport facilities to promote the facilities to encourage employees to sign up for membership. The event included dodgeball, swimming, 5 a side football, climbing wall, spinning, image consultancy, and walking tours amongst other things. For the last two years the company have also run an employee baking league. This has been particularly effective for engaging their staff in something fun at work , mixing with other people and encouraging them to take a break! In previous years they have offered an employee Wellbeing Week every January. Employees can participate in a number of healthy activities during their working time to improve their health, safety and wellbeing. Free fruit is also provided during the week. The idea for the week is that they provide free of charge taster sessions that employees can then choose to continue in their own time to improve their lifestyles.

Kaizen works towards high expectations of both adults and children. To ensure the team is driving towards success they carefully recognise and reward individual's efforts. An example of where this is most effective is their extending schools provision - after school clubs. Adults who take on the responsibility of running an after school club are expected to organise, plan, manage the resources, including a small budget and run the club out of their normal working hours. Adults who take up this opportunity have professional support with planning and organisation if needed. This additional responsibility is rewarded by one day's paid leave which can be taken at any point throughout the school year. By introducing this reward Kaizen have found that it encourages more adults to step up and lead an after school provision which in turn means that they can offer a wide variety of out of hours learning opportunities to the children.

Kaizen works towards high expectations of both adults and children. To ensure the team is driving towards success they carefully recognise and reward individual's efforts. An example of where this is most effective is their extending schools provision - after school clubs. Adults who take on the responsibility of running an after school club are expected to organise, plan, manage the resources, including a small budget and run the club out of their normal working hours. Adults who take up this opportunity have professional support with planning and organisation if needed. This additional responsibility is rewarded by one day's paid leave which can be taken at any point throughout the school year. By introducing this reward Kaizen have found that it encourages more adults to step up and lead an after school provision which in turn means that they can offer a wide variety of out of hours learning opportunities to the children.

Senior Management frequently recognise success in a variety of ways e.g. through celebration events, awards at weekly staff briefing, letters of thanks, certificates on the college website and intranet.

Employee development is fully supported here. All training directly related to an employees' role is fully funded, including fees and time for external qualifications such as NVQs, professional qualifications, teacher training and other postgraduate courses. There is also a fund to contribute to personal development activities not directly related to job roles.

Holycross Sixth Form College educate young people in order that they have the opportunity to develop spiritually, morally and intellectually. Holycross have an environmental group comprising staff and students which works in the local community doing conservation work, for example tree planting.

Holycross Sixth Form College educate young people in order that they have the opportunity to develop spiritually, morally and intellectually. Holycross have an environmental group comprising staff and students which works in the local community doing conservation work, for example tree planting.

The organisation is a charitable housing association providing a wide range of housing and support services for the families and single people including those with special needs. They are a well-established provider of support to people with complex needs, both in the community and living in their own supported housing schemes, supporting people with learning difficulties, mental health issues, young people, women and the homeless. Their aim is to provide appropriate support to each person living in their own home to enable them to develop independent living skills, be involved in decisions regarding their life and participate in their local community. They also run charity shops.

The organisation is a charitable housing association providing a wide range of housing and support services for the families and single people including those with special needs. They are a well-established provider of support to people with complex needs, both in the community and living in their own supported housing schemes, supporting people with learning difficulties, mental health issues, young people, women and the homeless. Their aim is to provide appropriate support to each person living in their own home to enable them to develop independent living skills, be involved in decisions regarding their life and participate in their local community. They also run charity shops.

In the last 12 months there has been the formation of a Senior Managers' Group which means there is a core group of managers responsible for key aspects such as managing attendance and working together to support the Leadership Team as well as managers and colleagues within their teams. It enables idea sharing and a cohesive approach to guiding and supporting colleagues across the Trust, as well as an additional forum for sharing ideas and listening and learning from experiences. Nick Atkin the Chief Executive is an exceptional leader who is the driving force behind the performance, direction and success of the organisation. What makes him distinctive is his approach to business, to the customers; to colleagues and to the working environment he has created. In business, he is very driven and extremely determined. He leads by example, is very well respected and strives for excellence and success. He is innovative, encourages new ideas and radical thinking and embraces change. On a personal level, he is extremely personable and supportive, accessible and takes a personal interest in all colleagues.

In the last 12 months there has been the formation of a Senior Managers' Group which means there is a core group of managers responsible for key aspects such as managing attendance and working together to support the Leadership Team as well as managers and colleagues within their teams. It enables idea sharing and a cohesive approach to guiding and supporting colleagues across the Trust, as well as an additional forum for sharing ideas and listening and learning from experiences. Nick Atkin the Chief Executive is an exceptional leader who is the driving force behind the performance, direction and success of the organisation. What makes him distinctive is his approach to business, to the customers; to colleagues and to the working environment he has created. In business, he is very driven and extremely determined. He leads by example, is very well respected and strives for excellence and success. He is innovative, encourages new ideas and radical thinking and embraces change. On a personal level, he is extremely personable and supportive, accessible and takes a personal interest in all colleagues.

Managers provide tea and coffee at morning break in order to encourage staff into the staff room where they can meet and chat and get away from the pressures of the classroom. They socialise with staff during morning and lunch breaks and have an open door policy. They hold regular departmental meetings and encourage six monthly progress reviews, reviewing training and development opportunities for staff. It is also their job to listen and respond in a timely fashion. Managers are confident in seeking advice from senior managers in more difficult or challenging circumstances. They also lead from the front and promote active consultation, communicating issues which will affect staff.

The organisation seeks to reward employees for their efforts. The Principal handwrites letters of congratulations on exam performance to all Heads of Department and subject departments in September and follows up with handwritten Christmas Cards to all teams and departments.

Winning the Scottish Award for Business Excellence, Scotland's top business award, was a tremendous achievement for GHA in 2011. The Chief Executive was keen to show all staff his recognition of their hard work that made this happen. He wrote to all staff and personally thanked them for their hard work, passion and commitment and he decided to reward staff with an extra day's holiday. His personal address and the extra day off made every member of staff feel their part in the organisation was recognised right from the top.

Winning the Scottish Award for Business Excellence, Scotland's top business award, was a tremendous achievement for GHA in 2011. The Chief Executive was keen to show all staff his recognition of their hard work that made this happen. He wrote to all staff and personally thanked them for their hard work, passion and commitment and he decided to reward staff with an extra day's holiday. His personal address and the extra day off made every member of staff feel their part in the organisation was recognised right from the top.

Gallions have been working with Bexley Council since 2009 to deliver REGULAR Well@work programmes to staff. These programmes invite staff to take part in a free 10 week programme of activity and (optional) education. Activities vary from week to week (e.g. circuits, aerobics, zumba, salsa, yoga, body pump) and are held in the Association's offices. Gallions' Well@work champion works closely with the council to promote and deliver the programme of events and has already arranged additional activities for staff in addition to the scheduled programme (e.g. Badminton classes as subsidised rates).

GHA runs a contribution based pay scheme which is quite unique to the sector in which they operate. This was introduced for the 2010-2011 performance year following an extensive review of their reward strategy practices. The Association's new Reward Strategy aims to pay upper quartile salaries for upper quartile performance, ensuring that pay is aligned with the market and internal relativities ensuring that the Association's salary bill is affordable and rewards the achievement of objectives in the year of performance via the bonus. As part of this strategy the Association introduced the contribution based pay scheme.

Staff Networking Day which was the first opportunity for all staff to step away from the day job and hear about the strategic direction of the organisation and share their views on shaping the future. It was also an opportunity for staff to work in groups looking at specific areas of the business and make suggestions for improvements. There was also some time to kick back and have some fun.

Managers give time during appraisal to ensure that the individual is heard and follow through on needs. They promote each tool and encourage staff to provide feedback reassured there is no reprisal for honestly and openness. They set and manage expectations of the organisation and are able to articulate the vision of the organisation and how people fit into it. They share best practice through their own teams and the wider organisation. Wellbeing is important and managers monitor employees working hours, ensuring individuals are encouraged to go home on time. They hear and commit to the principles outlined in management development regarding duty of care and understanding the importance of empathy.

Communication is the life blood of any organisation and the regular weekly email and termly addresses by the Vice Chancellor are commended by the staff each year in the annual staff survey. During the current year and with the significant amount of uncertainty surrounding the future of the HE sector, the Directorate have made a conscious effort to spend even more time engaging with staff across all levels explaining both the realities of the policy framework within which the University will be conducting its business but also seeking to assuage concerns which should not exist and which were merely developed as a result of inaccurate press reporting. This has involved many hundreds of hours with staff groups both formal and informal. Difficult decisions have never been held back from staff nor have the challenges being faced along with our proposed actions. This open, honest and transparent way of working has undoubtedly positioned the University well to address the challenges of the coming years whilst ensuring everyone employed by the University remains engaged and committed to their core mission.

Communication is the life blood of any organisation and the regular weekly email and termly addresses by the Vice Chancellor are commended by the staff each year in the annual staff survey. During the current year and with the significant amount of uncertainty surrounding the future of the HE sector, the Directorate have made a conscious effort to spend even more time engaging with staff across all levels explaining both the realities of the policy framework within which the University will be conducting its business but also seeking to assuage concerns which should not exist and which were merely developed as a result of inaccurate press reporting. This has involved many hundreds of hours with staff groups both formal and informal. Difficult decisions have never been held back from staff nor have the challenges being faced along with our proposed actions. This open, honest and transparent way of working has undoubtedly positioned the University well to address the challenges of the coming years whilst ensuring everyone employed by the University remains engaged and committed to their core mission.

Employees are rewarded for their efforts. Those who have shown a dedication and commitment beyond expectation are rewarded through nominations such as Team and Teacher of the Year at the College's Annual Awards Ceremony. This prestigious event acknowledges the award winners for their outstanding commitment to both the customer and organisation as a whole. Their success is fed back to all College staff at both the ceremony and within articles published in the monthly newsletter 'Eastleigh College Matters'.

Managers have an open door policy, which really works and "walk to job”, ensuring that staff see them and are able to talk to them. They set key performance indicators and targets for their staff which are negotiated and closely monitored and amended as necessary. Recognition is therefore given to the work expected of that member of staff. The workloads are negotiated and revisited at least twice a year and are also scrutinised by the Senior Management Team to ensure that there is fairness and transparency. Every manager has 1:1 meetings with the staff in their teams weekly, which provides opportunities for issues to be raised. Following the Communication and Consultation Group Meeting, managers have an "Onward briefing" with their teams which involves open discussion and consultation where staff openly express their views which are then taken back to the Communication and Consultation Group. They express thanks publicly and privately when staff perform well and the Senior Management Team is copied in on these communications. Annually an award is presented to the College Team of the Year and Teacher of the Year which are valued enormously.

The wellbeing of employees is supported in various ways. The private health insurance plan; provided by Simply Health; is paid for by the company for employees with six months' service and includes coverage of dental, optical, and some general medical costs. Free pieces of fruit are provided for all staff members to encourage healthy eating and massage sessions are offered periodically at all locations for all staff.

Directors have consulted heavily with staff during organisational restructures so that all employees were aware of and involved in the new structures and roles being discussed. Employee feedback on service delivery needs contributed to this process and some amendments to initial proposals were evidenced through the consultation process. Paul, the Leader of the organisation, has a very clear vision for the organisation and seeks to make sure that employees know how they can contribute to this. He takes a keen interest in the governance of the organisation and ensures that their residents, as their customer base; are steering the strategic and operational direction of the organisation. This customer focus streams through the organisation, creating a customer focussed culture for employees delivering their services at the front line.

A race night was held in January 2011. This was a social event but was also used as an occasion to raise money for the chair's charity. 70 staff attended and £800 was raised for charity. They also held an away day which included staff representatives from their staff forum, union reps and Board Directors. The event was an excellent way of building relationships between the staff and the Board and they received excellent feedback.

A race night was held in January 2011. This was a social event but was also used as an occasion to raise money for the chair's charity. 70 staff attended and £800 was raised for charity. They also held an away day which included staff representatives from their staff forum, union reps and Board Directors. The event was an excellent way of building relationships between the staff and the Board and they received excellent feedback.

Looking Back, Looking Forward staff presentation days, including ask a Director session. There are Presentations to management executive and all staff teams on the results of the survey and areas for improvement. EACH undertake presentations and discussions with teams on the survey results and ask staff for their ideas on how they can improve as well as the management team taking actions.

Looking Back, Looking Forward staff presentation days, including ask a Director session. There are Presentations to management executive and all staff teams on the results of the survey and areas for improvement. EACH undertake presentations and discussions with teams on the survey results and ask staff for their ideas on how they can improve as well as the management team taking actions.

They have an extensive health and wellbeing programme. The most recent event was the Clyde Valley 10K team. One of the Leaders sought participants in order to raise funds for the chosen charity. He got nominations from all areas of the business and the company paid for entrant's fees and corporate tops. They mixed staff from all areas of the company, who through fun training sessions, became more confident and closer, resulting in improved team working. The team developed a great bond and raised a significant amount of money. The participants were all at different levels of fitness, some ran, some walked, but they all encouraged each other and waited for each other at the finish line. They had a team night out to celebrate and have committed to doing it again next year and encouraging others to join them. The running club has continued and staff now go out for a run once a week. They also did the annual health walk, have an onsite gym, carry out annual health checks for staff and provide advice on general health issues.

They have an extensive health and wellbeing programme. The most recent event was the Clyde Valley 10K team. One of the Leaders sought participants in order to raise funds for the chosen charity. He got nominations from all areas of the business and the company paid for entrant's fees and corporate tops. They mixed staff from all areas of the company, who through fun training sessions, became more confident and closer, resulting in improved team working. The team developed a great bond and raised a significant amount of money. The participants were all at different levels of fitness, some ran, some walked, but they all encouraged each other and waited for each other at the finish line. They had a team night out to celebrate and have committed to doing it again next year and encouraging others to join them. The running club has continued and staff now go out for a run once a week. They also did the annual health walk, have an onsite gym, carry out annual health checks for staff and provide advice on general health issues.

The organisation supports employee development and has adopted a ‘coaching for improved performance' approach to people management and development. This approach is understood to be an on-going process, not a series of one-off events and team members record their development journey in the ‘My Personal Development Journal'. Annual Performance Development Reviews focus on individual team members' achievements and development is encouraged by granting people responsibility and authority to take on projects that interest them.

Their mission, vision and core purpose as a charity of beating breast cancer is a life changing method of giving back to which all staff buy-in and actively contribute. With this in mind, they recognise the importance of funding medical research, without which the charity would not exist and the key role the supporters play at every level to contribute to this. Staff are encouraged to volunteer at events and to fundraise themselves, for Breast Cancer Campaign and for other charities or causes. This year, all staff were asked to volunteer in October for one event outside the day job, an example set by the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team and recorded on a Wall of Wonder in the Fundraising Department.

Their mission, vision and core purpose as a charity of beating breast cancer is a life changing method of giving back to which all staff buy-in and actively contribute. With this in mind, they recognise the importance of funding medical research, without which the charity would not exist and the key role the supporters play at every level to contribute to this. Staff are encouraged to volunteer at events and to fundraise themselves, for Breast Cancer Campaign and for other charities or causes. This year, all staff were asked to volunteer in October for one event outside the day job, an example set by the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team and recorded on a Wall of Wonder in the Fundraising Department.

The college normally holds staff events at Christmas and the end of June when staff break up for the summer holidays. Last year a group of staff led by the Head of HR, got together and organised an end of term event in June 2011. On the last working afternoon of term, staff got together in the Union for a Fun Afternoon. The College had dominoes, a pool competition, bingo and races (three legged, space hopper and egg and spoon). The bar was open and burgers and chips were on sale. This event lasted about four hours with a large number of staff continuing the party mood by going out to the pubs in the town. It was a great success and lots of fun.

As well as the formal processes implemented by the college the managers within the college are tuned into the college culture of recognition and praise for a job well done. The college also has a thank you card system and the Christmas Stars which allow managers to recognise outstanding staff members. Managers meet regularly with staff to ask for feedback both at a team level and on an individual basis. The teams are relatively small which allows line managers to be able to pick up on any issues quickly and discuss these and find workable remedies.

Antrim Borough Council provides a holistic and innovative Wellbeing Programme aligned to their Health, Safety and Wellbeing Strategy. This includes a wide range of options for individuals including Individual Wellbeing Action Plans, Healthy Lifestyle Schemes, Cycle to Work Schemes, 'Quickfit' Health Checks, Health Surveillance Checks, Work Life Balance Policies, Carecall Counselling and a number of special events. Individual action plans are tailored to suit the needs of an individual at a point in time as the Council recognise that personal circumstances change over time and the programme is flexible enough to accommodate this.

Antrim Borough Council are an accredited Employer of Choice and a working group comprising representatives from across the Council meets monthly to ensure that relevant action plans are developed and implemented. The Council survey employees regularly on work life balance issues and incorporate the Health and Safety Executives Stress Management Standards within the survey. The results demonstrate that employees believe Council values staff and that relationships are good in the workplace. They use a 'Talkback' system to enable staff to forward ideas or ask questions but the primary method of listening to employees is through the line manager and their latest survey results showed that 89% of employees confirmed that their manager has an 'open door' approach. Line managers have also been fully trained to adopt a coaching style which focuses on listening to employees and encouraging them to fulfil their potential.

Managers allow time for 1:1's to take place with members of their team every 4-6 weeks and ensure that this is structured to discuss work, work life balance, Health and Safety and any other issues. Part of this process is allowing for an open conversation to take place between the manager and members of staff. They are encouraged to discuss any recent training their team have been on during team meetings and individual 1:1's and through these and appraisals managers should be working with individuals to determine training that will be useful in the future to help them grow and develop. Managers attend training themselves to identify possible signs of stress or workload issues to help prevent this occurring in their members of staff. Managers are the key to driving the direction and vision of the organisation to their team, this is done through team meetings and on an individual level at 1:1's.

Employee development is supported at Affinity Sutton and they are committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to grow and their learning and development programme reflects that. They are passionate about continuous improvement and seek to ensure their people have the resources and working environment that promotes job satisfaction and employee wellbeing. There is targeted internal training supported by on the job coaching, regular one to ones, annual appraisals, an E-learning provision and ILM management programmes and there is also high level management support and endorsement.

A key part of Action's culture is that they have no hierarchy. Therefore words such as Senior are not used. Instead they have a Strategic Leadership Team. In the past year this group has undertaken its own review and development through surveying the needs of team/individual development and also shaping the content and purpose of the Senior Management Team. As a result of this the Senior Leadership Team now only meets six times per year and the items discussed are purely strategic and operational matters are dealt with locally or through regional teams. Stephen is a unique Chief Executive. He aims to meet as many employees as possible, operates a truly 'open door' policy and is accessible to every member of staff not just his direct reports. Despite being at Action for a number of years, he is constantly striving to make people who are blind or partially sighted at the centre of everything they do, through challenging and motivating staff to make them question they are doing the best they can and changing and shaping the organisation so it is able to meet the future needs and challenges.

The organisation sets clear restaurant KPI's with General Manager's agreement and rewards through a profit related bonus scheme available to all restaurant employees. Managers cascade targets to their team through team briefs and a daily follow ups, rewarding and recognising achievements. They hold appraisals twice yearly on all staff, reviewing actions and agreeing focus areas for development. They hold coffee chats and one to ones coupled with an open door policy which encourages feedback and two way communication. Managers also motivate staff with daily meetings to encourage and set the scene for every shift. Every manager sees their restaurant as a theatre and the team as the actors when they are open.

The organisation sets clear restaurant KPI's with General Manager's agreement and rewards through a profit related bonus scheme available to all restaurant employees. Managers cascade targets to their team through team briefs and a daily follow ups, rewarding and recognising achievements. They hold appraisals twice yearly on all staff, reviewing actions and agreeing focus areas for development. They hold coffee chats and one to ones coupled with an open door policy which encourages feedback and two way communication. Managers also motivate staff with daily meetings to encourage and set the scene for every shift. Every manager sees their restaurant as a theatre and the team as the actors when they are open.

The company offers a broad range of development opportunities and programmes. There are online programmes that are available to all staff, including a business development programme which was developed especially for their staff. Their online Skills Guide provides development help for all individuals in the firm who can both plan their development and access a range of media to use themselves or in their teams. All staff have access to learning portals with development resources. One of the learning portals is produced by one of the UK's leading business schools and they customise part of it for their staff. There are also conferences and away days which often involve an element of sharing vision, development, teamwork and fun. Each person has a minimum of twice yearly appraisal discussions with their line managers to talk about their achievements, appraisal objectives, performance and to set their objectives or development points for the forthcoming year. The majority of their people will also receive regular feedback following work with clients or regular one to one meetings.

They take a genuine interest in their people and want to encourage every individual to be the best they can be. If someone has a disability or medical concern they will look as far as is reasonably possible to support that person. They understand it can be daunting to speak out and some people could be worried about how the firm, or their manager, might react if they asked for help. Therefore, last year we introduced Disability Champions who are available to help fellow employees by offering confidential, non-judgmental support and encouragement. This support will vary depending on the individual's situation and wishes but may just be providing a sympathetic ear or offering practical support by knowing where they can get appropriate help and guidance. They also support employees who are going through fertility treatment, which is an exceptionally stressful time, by offering confidential support by way of someone to talk to who has some understanding of what they are going through and time off for treatment and flexibility for appointments.

As well as providing free fruit and reduced cost gym memberships to employees, Wolters Kluwer has launched 'My Benefits'; a flexible benefits programme designed to fit in with employee's lifestyles. Covering Health & Wellbeing, the programme includes Dental Insurance, Health Assessments, Private Medical Insurance, a Medical Cash Plan and a cycle to work scheme. They also provide a free and confidential Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). This service offers expert advice, information, specialist counselling and support for employees and their immediate family. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can provide wide ranging information and guidance on topics such as buying a new home, having children, relationships, managing money, retirement personal and family crisis and staying healthy to name but a few.

The Executive and Senior Management Team have actively improved communication methods to engage employees with the Company's mission and values. Cathy Wolfe, CEO, and the senior managers deliver regular road shows at the two main head office sites in the UK. At these they give a business update on the different businesses, outline the main priorities for the present and future and offer employees the opportunity to ask questions to the Executive and Senior Management Team. In addition to these employee road shows the organisation has developed monthly newsletters and blogs from senior managers to keep employees up to date with business activity. These newsletters are also used for more informal updates such as introduction to new starters in the business, announcement or marriages or births and so forth. There has also been the recent addition of social media communication tools. Yammer has proven to be a successful way of engaging employees to have informal business conversations with colleagues from across the business. The Senior Management Team proactively encourages these online conversations.

The Leader is approachable and makes very open and honest communications. He actively seeks input to decisions from all levels of the organisation and he takes a personal interest in issues of importance to even the most junior staff. He is able to adapt his style depending on who he is communicating with depending on whether that is ashop floor employee or senior manager. He regularly takes the time to walk around the offices and factory, visiting all departments and stopping to get an update on how the various teams are doing.

Trend Control runs an "Attitude Apprenticeship Scheme" that currently has 65 apprentices enrolled and 60 Apprentices graduated. They are undertaking training to become a Building Energy Management Engineer. Trend Control employs a scheme manager and a scheme administrator to devise the training schemes, oversee apprentice progress, providing mentoring where necessary. This is the only scheme of its kind in the industry. The scheme is available to everyone in Trend Control and they have had a number of internal employees, several from the factory who have joined the scheme and have developed into qualified engineers.

The company have a structured charitable giving approach which incorporates the following: * Duke of Edinburgh charity - as a company they donate 20k per year to the charity, as well as employees partaking in events, and raising money for the charity, during the course of the year. A charity and CSR committee that are dedicated to raising money for events and ensuring they are doing all they can as a business to reduce their impact on the environment.

The company have a structured charitable giving approach which incorporates the following: * Duke of Edinburgh charity - as a company they donate 20k per year to the charity, as well as employees partaking in events, and raising money for the charity, during the course of the year. A charity and CSR committee that are dedicated to raising money for events and ensuring they are doing all they can as a business to reduce their impact on the environment.

The Book People award those who are nominated by any colleague for having made a difference or going above and beyond. The organisation give £50 in vouchers; this is usually presented to the individual at one of the company's events. The Book People have also introduced a certificate of achievement to support this award.

The Book People offer employees recycling opportunities and a cycle to work scheme.

Managers at TAFC hold one to one discussions and team briefings with their employees. They also use articles in newsletters to recognise success. Managers nominate employees for the monthly employee of the month award which then goes into an annual award. They identify training and coaching needs, encourage their teams to provide 360 feedback, and use PDPs to help to assist to identify development needs.

The Annual Company Presentation involves all staff and is spread out across a whole day. The first part of the day is spent in a workshop style. Each of the company's Board members had a station and the team were spilt into groups and rotated around each station. Each Board member would talk through their departments activities-past, present and future; their goals and how they planned to achieve them. They each had a Q&A section where the employees were able to put questions they had direct to the Board member. This proved to be an effective exercise and a great way for both the Board and employees to communicate. The second half of the session was spent with the MD presenting to the whole company his vision for Authentic and his chance to praise those that had worked exceptionally hard over the last twelve months.

Senior Managers, the company's Chairman and Managing Director have increased their visibility around the office by attending team meetings and simply by walking around the office and speaking to employees. This face to face contact with employees on the “shop floor” has had a significant impact on employee engagement. It has encouraged effective questioning and following through on actions, employees feel that they are being listened to and their opinions count.

Tamdown are committed to releasing the potential of their people and developing their knowledge and skills, providing them with a rewarding and satisfying career. Tamdown invests heavily in training and development and is proud to be investor in people accredited since 2002. Learning and development opportunities include the following: Degree courses, post graduate qualifications, Higher National Diplomas, Industry qualifications and memberships Ad hoc/one off training events, Apprenticeships Bespoke training and development courses – “the academy”. The Academy was a bespoke learning initiative delivered over 6 months in 2011, all employees took part in their departments and the sessions focused on developing participant's attitude and behaviour for increased performance both personally and professionally. Despite the current economic climate, the Chairman personally ensured that funds were made available and he worked together with an external training organisation and provided guidance about the main subject areas to be covered.

Three years ago, Sterling Insurance Group set up a staff suggestion scheme called "Bright Ideas" which encourages employees to submit ideas on ways in which they can improve the organisation. The scheme is a brilliant success with the ideas being judged on a quarterly basis by a cross sections of individuals within the organisation. The ideas are voted for based on a number of criteria i.e. profitability, efficiency, motivational and the winners receive shopping vouchers and company recognition. Many ideas the company have received have been implemented, resulting in greater efficiencies across working areas. Sterling Insurance Group also encourages total collaboration from employees. Through the MD's weekly update, individuals are encouraged to email any ideas on improving communication specifically to the MD.

Sterling Insurance Group operates a bonus plan for all of its employees. The bonus plan is based on two factors, company profitability and an employee's individual performance.

They support local charities in their area. One example is that Springfield has, over the last two years, been working on constructing a £200k Moray Hydrotherapy Pool building in Forres. This has been a huge challenge, but extremely rewarding to now see the pool utilised and benefiting so many local people.

They support local charities in their area. One example is that Springfield has, over the last two years, been working on constructing a £200k Moray Hydrotherapy Pool building in Forres. This has been a huge challenge, but extremely rewarding to now see the pool utilised and benefiting so many local people.

Specific Media's new office has created an onsite gym for all staff to use, complete with full changing room and shower facilities. These facilities are open to staff all day from 6.00am until 9.00pm and at weekends. Each employee received a health check and gym induction prior to using the gym. Personal training sessions are also available upon request. Specific Media also provides complimentary massages for all employees. On a monthly basis, employees can book a number of treatments including back, shoulder, hand or facial massages, which are carried out during work hours at no cost to the employee.

Specific Media recently moved into a new office and to say farewell to the office that had been their home for over 3 years, the company held a 'farewell Strutton Ground' party. Specific Media invited all employees and also members of the local community to join them for a barbeque and charity auction, selling off furniture, white goods, pieces of Specific Media memorabilia and a charity tombola where all items were donated by staff (which had accumulated in the office from various events/client presents). Members of the local community included the local newsagent and her family, their fruit delivery man, the staff at Pret A Manger and the company's office maintenance and cleaning team. It was a fantastic event to say goodbye to their office and thank you to everyone who had made it the company's home.

The Hotel is aware that rewards and recognition are vital as they help the teams feel a sense of personal accomplishment and with this comes confidence in their ability to perform successfully in their roles. Three times a year the company holds a communication meeting for all of staff in which they honour recipients of the MBE (Member of the Brand Experience) and OBE (Order of the Brand Experience). These are employees that really have stood out for going above and beyond the call of duty. However, to ensure that recognition is kept close to the surface, all employees are encouraged to give out “stars” to colleagues they think have done a great job. Stars can be traded in for a chocolate bar, or collected for a gift voucher. To ensure stars are given and to keep it high on the agenda, HR will raise this in the morning meeting every day, and then display on a recognition wall in the Heart of House areas along with an employee picture.

The Hotel is aware that rewards and recognition are vital as they help the teams feel a sense of personal accomplishment and with this comes confidence in their ability to perform successfully in their roles. Three times a year the company holds a communication meeting for all of staff in which they honour recipients of the MBE (Member of the Brand Experience) and OBE (Order of the Brand Experience). These are employees that really have stood out for going above and beyond the call of duty. However, to ensure that recognition is kept close to the surface, all employees are encouraged to give out “stars” to colleagues they think have done a great job. Stars can be traded in for a chocolate bar, or collected for a gift voucher. To ensure stars are given and to keep it high on the agenda, HR will raise this in the morning meeting every day, and then display on a recognition wall in the Heart of House areas along with an employee picture.

Roke has a Sports & Social club which offers access to wide variety of sporting activities. Onsite, Roke has a gym, tennis court and sports field. The Sports & Social club organises an annual rounders tournament, summer tennis league, yoga, Pilates and circuit exercise classes. Mountain bikes have also been purchased to allow employees to cycle at lunchtimes. Most recently, Roke has hired a personal trainer to help improve the fitness of their employees by having a weekly training sessions and offering advice on healthy eating. With regards to health, all employees can have access to the Company Counsellor/Occupational Health and the majority of employees are entitled to non-contributory BUPA (options of single, couple or family cover available). Health Assessments are available for Senior Management.

Roke's "Next Generation" programme sets out to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists through direct contact with experts developing exciting new technology. Part of this scheme involved a ‘teach the teachers' session where teachers from across Hampshire were invited to Roke to be trained in new engineering techniques so these could be passed onto students.

Managers at Roevin have daily reviews, weekly review meetings, regular appraisals and one to one meetings with staff. Managers develop personal development plans with employees which is part of Roevin's appraisal Acquire, Ascent & Aspire programme. Managers also encourage employees to have and develop clear career paths.

Roevin supports employee development is through their specific role based learning plan. For example, an inexperienced recruitment consultant joining the company will attend a residential 3-day Training Academy. Back in branch, they have a specific 6-month Post-Academy training programme that is delivered on the job by the Branch Manager. Going forward there are specific skills based courses that cover all levels in their career, up to and including Roevin's Management Development Portfolio. Additionally, Roevin have a year-long leadership development Programme for those aspiring to Operational Director roles, as well as Executive Education programmes for their senior staff in conjunction with both IMD in Lausanne and INSEAD in Paris. In addition to Roevin's Instructor Led Training courses, through their Learning Portal, all employees have access to a range of internally-designed e-learning modules, as well as 13,000 externally-designed courses, including material on PRINCE-2, Lean Six Sigma and multiple versions of the Microsoft Office package.

The RKH Group believe their CEO Paul Bridgwater listens and truly takes time to understand the 'people issues' in the business as he directs the business with the future in mind at all times. This was recognised in 2008 when the CEO was voted CEO of the Year at the 'Reactions' London Market Awards.

The RKH Group hold regular team meetings to discuss workloads, future developments, staffing issues. Open dialogue by all participants is actively encouraged during these meetings.

Managers at Retirement Villages use action plans and discuss targets with their staff teams and feedback information to senior managers. Managers also recognise individuals at local level - this may be as simple as at the end of a shift just saying thank you. Regional Managers check to ensure that managers are completing appraisals and supervisions on a regular basis.

Each location has a manager/s who are responsible for the running of their village. Employees are involved in regular meetings with their managers where ideas and feedback are exchanged and then acted upon. Each location has a different approach to gaining feedback from staff. Managers then share what is happening in their location at the monthly Regional Meetings with Senior Managers.

Managers at Red Commerce ensure that the reviews they conduct have a '360' element to them, so that after each review both manager and team member have a list of actions to complete. Managers have regular informal feedback sessions with their teams and run regular breakout sessions with their teams to talk about hot topics and share ideas and information. At least once a month, managers will ensure that they spread some time with their teams in a less formal (i.e. social) setting to encourage honesty and openness, as opinions tend to flow more freely in this setting than around the desks! With regards to rewards, managers will offer both individual and team incentives for performance against a variety of targets, daily, weekly or monthly, and will also send emails around the business to highlight outstanding performances.

Managers at Red Commerce ensure that the reviews they conduct have a '360' element to them, so that after each review both manager and team member have a list of actions to complete. Managers have regular informal feedback sessions with their teams and run regular breakout sessions with their teams to talk about hot topics and share ideas and information. At least once a month, managers will ensure that they spread some time with their teams in a less formal (i.e. social) setting to encourage honesty and openness, as opinions tend to flow more freely in this setting than around the desks! With regards to rewards, managers will offer both individual and team incentives for performance against a variety of targets, daily, weekly or monthly, and will also send emails around the business to highlight outstanding performances.

Ralli recently held a team building weekend at Carden Park which involved guest speakers, team building exercises, and staff were rewarded with an evening meal and entertainment, all paid for by the firm.

As an organisation Ralli offers all members of staff regular, monthly social events to participate in.

Pure Recruitment Group holds a Quarterly Communications meeting where the company provides employees with information about the business and staff are actively encouraged to submit items for discussion and new ideas.

Last year's AGM was held at the Raceway and following the formal communications meeting, the entire company was split into teams for Go Karting. Races were held with the winners of each race being put forward to the final at the end of the afternoon.