Investment in wellbeing and development has helped Housing 21 achieve two Investors in People accreditations and position itself as a top-performing employer.
Following a recent assessment by the Investors in People (IIP), Housing 21 retained its Investors in People Platinum accreditation in recognition of its commitment to career development whilst also achieving We Invest in Wellbeing Gold for the first time.
Bruce Moore, Chief Executive at Housing 21, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have retained our We Invest in People Platinum accreditation and achieving We Invest in Wellbeing Gold for the first time is an equally meaningful milestone.
“These recognitions are a testament to how we put people at the heart of everything we do. The hard work doesn’t stop there, as we now strive to achieve double platinum at the next assessment.”
The IIP assessments evaluate how well an organisation leads, supports, and improves its people. To maintain Platinum status while also achieving Gold in wellbeing showcases consistent investment in people strategies that empower and upholds its workforce at every level.
IIP Practitioner Gwen Powell spent the past year embedded in key areas across the organisation to gather data as part of the assessment, asking challenging questions and building relationships within various teams and directorates. This provided the evidence and assurance needed to assess Housing 21 as ‘High Performing’ in every indicator and theme of the We Invest in People framework, and Advanced or higher in every theme in the We Invest in Wellbeing framework.
To support the retention of its platinum status, Housing 21 undertook a digital upgrade, connecting 2,000 operational employees with the rest of the organisation through Microsoft F1 licences. By enabling colleagues to get online, they are now access to internal platforms for employee communications among other platforms to improve their employee experience. Focus groups were also held to act on feedback from the 2024 annual employee survey.
To achieve wellbeing gold, the not-for-profit became a member of the Wellbeing of Women Membership Programme, gained Disability Confident Level 2 and launched a range of inclusive employee forums.
The provider of Extra Care and Retirement Living opened its doors to partner with IIP in 2024 after deciding to transition from a traditional three-year accreditation model to an annual partnership. This approach helps organisations to continually improve and build a strong and direct relationship with IIP.
IIP is a globally recognised standard for people management, measuring how well organisations lead, support and develop their employees.