WHEN WELFARE REFORMS led to voluntary redundancies at this Co Durham housing association, private counselling sessions, financial advice and one-to-one meetings ensured that those who opted to leave were well supported. Open communication is at the heart of this small organisation, which manages 8,500 homes across the county. The 125 staff believe they can make a valuable contribution to livin's success (an 82% positive score) and say that managers talk openly and honestly (77%). A “Eurofever” event during last summer's Uefa football tournament saw people share home-made food, take part in quizzes and relax on a man-made “beach” in the office. People feel a strong sense of family in their teams (77%) and say their colleagues go out of their way to be helpful (81%). www.livin.co.uk
