FESTIVAL Housing employees see great personal benefit from the training they get in their jobs, recording a 75% positive score, ranking it first on this question among mid-size organisations in our survey. The 452 employees based at 19 sites, including at the head office in Malvern, Worcestershire, receive financial support to sign up for modern apprenticeships or for professional and vocational qualifications. Each person has almost seven training days a year, at colleges or via inhouse, e-learning and distance-learning courses. This support while managing, servicing and maintaining about 10,000 homes in Hereford and Worcestershire means people regard their experience at Festival Housing as valuable for their future (75%). Support workers, housing officers and tradesmen are often on the move between tenants' homes, so once a month a member of the executive team delivers a “BreakFest brief” at a number of locations, while information is offered and feedback sought via Festival's intranet. Everyone has a human resources adviser assigned to them, to help with problems and answer questions. The organisation is run on strong principles (77%). A new set of values was agreed following a series of staff workshops — the motto is now “be proud, be trusted, be caring, be innovative and be the difference”. People are certainly proud to be part of the housing provider (80%). The staff conference at Worcester Warriors rugby club's stadium last June was Festival's biggest to date and featured a drumming workshop, at which all 376 in attendance created one stirring and inspirational beat. www.festivalhousing.or
