Personal Growth

London & Partners

London and Partners holds quarterly Senior Leadership away days in order to review, evaluate, and map organisational priorities through the year. The individual SLT members are then equipped to communicate key messages to their teams. The organisation also holds monthly All Staff meetings as another channel to communicate with employees directly.

The organisations Living Well, Working Well ethos actively promotes home and remote working. Communicating well with colleagues is key to its success. There are 13 different channels of communication, from face to face through Yammer as well as traditional phone/e-mail channels.

London & Partners state their vision, mission and strategy in all of their core documents and reinforce them regularly.

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Not For Profit Body's

JTP

The annual office study trips to places such as Lyon, London Dock, and Wapping are a testament to the firm's focus on team-building. These trips allow teams to learn about best-practice architecture, fostering team spirit and a sense of belonging.

Through initiatives like the Building Futures programme and school outreach programmes, JTP gives back to society by offering work experience, learning, and career opportunities. The firm's focus on nature-led design also shows a commitment to environmental wellbeing.

JTP offers ample opportunities for personal growth, with initiatives like weekly design reviews and fortnightly professional training groups. These initiatives not only utilise the skills of the employees but also offer a platform for learning and development.

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Architect & Surveyor

Gill Jennings & Every LLP

The Practice Director has line manager responsibility for the management team and has introduced agile working, new management roles, and manager coaching. Managers have regular one-to-ones with the Practice Director and regular social and work events including brainstorming sessions, whereby they can get together as a team, strengthen relationships, share ideas, and have some fun.

Everyone who has passed their probationary period is eligible for a bonus. The amount each person receives is based upon the success of the firm, the success of the team in which they work, and their own personal contribution to that success. This approach encourages collaboration and team work.

The firm supports administrative staff and fee earning staff to sit professional intellectual property qualifications. This year, it completed two new training programmes. One supporting the wellbeing of associates, the other supporting senior associates and helping them to manage their careers so that they can achieve their career ambitions.

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Law

Birkett Long LLP

Birkett Long rewards staff in many ways, including through team thank you finds which team leaders can use to recognise and reward their teams. The organisation also offers all its people access to Unum, an employee benefits package that provides benefits and wellbeing support to all employees and their families.

The organisation’s Continuous Performance Evaluation scheme consists of four check-ins and is a structured platform to discuss growth, set objectives, and plan development. Each check-in reviews the objectives and allows management to work with the employee to achieve their goals.

All managers at Birkett Long undertake Management Training, with the organisation facilitate full day courses or a series of development programmes. It also provides futher training to managers on subjects such as stress at work, menopause, mental health training, managing remote team members, wellbeing at work, stress and resilience, reward and recognition, and employee

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Law

Abri

On the Abri intranet, there is a ‘Your Wellbeing’ button which provides colleagues with access to external support for mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing. Wellbeing support at Abri includes an employee assistance programme, occupational health, mental health training, compassion fatigue training, and information on financial wellbeing and healthy lifestyles through its reward platform ROAR.

Abri’s 5-year Achieving Together strategy was refreshed twice last year. First, for its new corporate priority for EDI and second, for the move towards a new regional model. The strategy was published to colleagues, along with its supporting functional strategies. This provides a golden thread between Abri’s goals and the work of its 2,000 colleagues.

Abri launched Housing Professional of the Future, a self-lead programme taking colleagues through a wide range of topics, such as understanding customers, housing policy, and managing a housing association. Colleagues have the opportunity to attend masterclasses by sector experts, sharing their knowledge and experience and giving them practical skills to deal with everyday challenges.

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Housing Associations

Age Well East

Employees at Age Well East are provided with opportunities for personal development through Reflective Practice sessions and one-to-one meetings, where they can express their interest in specific training or skills enhancement.

The organisation prioritises employee wellbeing by offering an Employee Assistance Programme, wellbeing seminars and maintaining a menopause policy. This demonstrates its commitment to supporting employees in managing work-life balance and personal health.

Leadership at Age Well East is characterised by transparency and regular communication with the team. Monthly updates from the CEO and an open-door policy from leaders create a supportive and engaging work environment.

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Charity's

InsureandGo

The company's mental health policy aims to create an open and honest workplace where line managers and employees can discuss problems, and ensure that the necessary support is offered to staff when needed. It has also asked to join the Workplace Mental Health Charter and is looking to appoint mental health first-aiders.

Managers are responsible for working with staff to identify their development needs through appraisals, one-to-one sessions and coaching to make sure they have the opportunity to review their personal development plan. Employees are given regular feedback on their performance.Employees also have the opportunity to complete professional qualifications through an apprenticeship.

InsureandGo staff took part in the Ride London Essex 100 event in May and raised £6,884 to help Diabetes UK. The company has previously teamed up with Make Southend Sparkle and volunteers collected waste and plastics along Southend beach. On volunteering days, they undertook DIY and gardening jobs at a Havens Hospice.

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Insurance

Archus

Archus's ethos is to be inclusive, respectful and supportive, enabling every person to be a unique individual and thrive. It's proud of its diverse culture, and takes steps to ensure it is part of the company’s DNA.

Archus has introduced a mentor programme, allowing staff to be linked to someone who is not necessarily in their local team. The aim is to help them set and achieve personal and professional development objectives and progress through learning from their peers in management positions.

Archus staff took part in a sponsored walk, donating more than £3,000 to the Tafika Fund, in Africa, in support of a healthcare facility. They also volunteered at Newlife, the charity for disabled children, in Birmingham, and completed the Three Peaks Challenge in aid of a heli pad for Manchester Children's Hospital.

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Consultancy

Teachers Building Society

The society works with Wimborne Foodbank and pre-pandemic this meant dating tins and stacking shelves, among other tasks. During the pandemic it has donated food and cash to help with increased demands. It has also planted a bee-friendly garden at the front of the building as part of Wimborne War on Waste.

Colour profiling was introduced as a means to improve internal communication, a key area for action following the organisation's last large survey. Initially approached with scepticism by some, the profiling has been transformative - so much so that it is now part of the company's DNA and used from the first day of employment.

The society promotes and develops staff and regularly has internal movers from its business-support areas into technical and professional roles. It has recently committed to sponsoring the head of sales and marketing through a master's degree in strategic leadership at Loughborough University.

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Financial Services

OryxAlign

Oryx Align supports personal growth by providing a variety of training courses through Udemy licenses and internal training sessions. The company's focus on individual development plans and the promotion of internal talent underscores its commitment to growth.

In addition to private healthcare and pension contributions, Oryx Align supports its employees through financial contributions to help with energy bills. This commitment to fair treatment extends to free financial advice through its partnership with Schroders.

Oryx Align's leadership team ensures transparency and alignment through regular company update meetings, led by the CEO. The company's values are reinforced through a 'Living our Values' award at the annual awards ceremony.

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Business Services

Growth Fuels Engagement

London & Partners

JTP

Gill Jennings & Every LLP

Birkett Long LLP

Abri

Age Well East

InsureandGo

Archus

Teachers Building Society

OryxAlign

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