What are companies doing with regards to 'Personal Growth'

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.

A particularly memorable event was when they held a Mission and Ethos Day in July 2011 where different activities were organised for staff to take part in. There was for example, a barge trip around Salford, a trip to the Lake District, visits to museums and a day of indoor skiing.

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.

In addition to regular supervisions, all staff have at least two personal development reviews (PDR) with their line manager per year. At these meetings, along with a review and assessment of objectives, their development needs are also discussed. Development can be in the form of formal training, e.g. training courses, attendance at events or conferences or informal training e.g. mentoring, coaching and shadowing. Staff are encouraged to take responsibility for identifying, planning and fulfilling their own learning and development needs through the appraisal process and highlight any training that would be beneficial in their development, whilst meeting their need for job satisfaction and career progression. Possibly the most successful employee development programme is their mentoring scheme. A number of managers have undergone mentoring and coaching training so that they can mentor new managers, but also any staff wishing to develop particular skills or progress into a management role. Mentoring is a learning and development process which allows a mentee to discuss any issues or development needs they have with a more experienced mentor.

As an organisation, they have been looking at a holistic approach to Healthy Workplaces and considering what effect health has on work and work has on health. They plan to run a series of educating campaigns around healthy hearts e.g. eating well, smoking cessation, encouraging 5 minute desk workouts etc. and healthy minds e.g. managing stress and anxiety, challenging behaviours, seeking support, etc. Examples of some of the things they already offer to enhance employee wellbeing are flexible working, independent counselling sessions and a cycle to work scheme. There are also healthy options within the Goodwin Café. They recently conducted a Healthy Workplace Survey to find out what improvements staff felt they could make. One of the suggestions included making it known what the ‘points' values of meals served in the Goodwin Cafe are for those participating in Weightwatchers which has been put in place. Other suggested initiatives included pool bicycles to get to meetings and between sites, a fun group dance and sport leagues which are being considered.

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.

They plan to share the outcomes of the survey with staff, celebrate the things that they do well, and address issues of concern summarised in an appropriate action plan. This will form an important part of the Staff development Self-Assessment Report (SAR). The SAR is reviewed and validated every year and a new action plan developed in response to the results of the previous action plan and any developments in education and government policies.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.