About Halton Housing Trust

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.

New starters and all colleagues have access to the Leadership Team. There is an open door style of support and there are many mechanisms to ensure colleagues feel listened to and their feedback is taken on board. Flexible working ensures and enables an equalitarian style of working which enables both formal and informal messages to be relayed and is a two-way opportunity. Their Performance Screens at each site ensure clarity and consistency of messages, incorporating competitions on the screens, sharing good news as well as updates on the balanced scorecard, health and wellbeing initiatives to ensure a consistent approach to communicating effectively. The monthly brief is an employee briefing which seeks feedback with answers to questions and comments provided the following month. They also have a staff magazine, GRAPEVINE, which includes information and competitions and involves a cross section of colleagues to ensure a mix of attractive articles for everyone.

The Star Quality scheme encourages all employees to nominate each other for going above and beyond the normal requirements of their role. Vouchers are given as a reward to the monthly winner and Star Quality thank you cards are sent to every individual who has been nominated each month. This is seen as an excellent reward mechanism. Personal letters from the CE and Executive Directors are also sent for going the extra mile and they also encourage customers to compliment colleagues who work in their homes or who have other forms of contact with them. Each employee receives a letter from the organisation detailing the compliment and a record is kept on their personal file. This is a very valued method of recognition. The Performance Development Review process takes into account behaviours which demonstrate a positive impact on the service to the customers and colleagues - if colleagues achieve all of their objectives which are linked to the competency framework then they achieve pay progression on an annual basis.