Investors in People (IiP)

The Investors in People standard is an of important indication of just how much we value our people and how we understand that organisational success is based on peoples contributions. The summary below highlights some of the key areas that are critical to us achieving the Investor in People National Standard.

Induction

We consider a well-planned induction to be vital to ensuring that staff understand their role within the organisation and are supported in providing effective and efficient services within a safe system of work.

Staff who are new to local government, or are returning after a break in service, are supported through a probationary period. This provides an opportunity for us to be clear with you about what the job entails and the standards expected. Regular review sessions are held so that your manager can identify with you any training or support needs. Our Investor in People assessment praised the council's 'person centred' approach to induction which is tailored to meet the needs of individuals.

Performance management framework

Each member of staff is central to how the council's aims and objectives are met – staff are ourmost valuable asset. Our well-established performance management framework involves regular supervision and appraisals. This enables managers to support and develop staff and to ensure that quality services are provided which achieve positive outcomes for service users and best value for the people of Oxfordshire. The frequency of supervision depends on your job; the minimum is every three months, but for many posts supervision meetings are held every month. In addition there is a culture of team meetings and information is cascaded from senior managers in regular bulletins and seminars.

Each member of staff has an appraisal at least once a year. Objectives are set and linked to team and service plans so that everyone can see how they fit into achieving their directorate's and the corporate objectives. Feedback from staff indicates that it encourages them to take a fresh look at their role, gives valuable feedback to managers and leaves staff with a renewed sense of enthusiasm for their work.

Your learning and career development

We are committed to developing our staff and provide a wide range of learning and development opportunities including coaching, mentoring, shadowing, qualification training, eLearning, distance learning, workshops and short training courses. We aim to help people develop the skills, knowledge and experience they need to be competent in their current job and, where possible, we also develop staff for future roles.

Our Investor in People assessment highlights as good practice the variety of learning and development opportunities employees have not only to ensure they are appropriately qualified and can demonstrate their on going continuous professional development where this is a requirement of their profession/role but also so that they continue to develop their knowledge and confidence.