Gold winner – National Assembly receives top award for second time for commitment to staff
26 June 2013
The National Assembly for Wales has achieved the Investors in People (IiP) Gold Standard award for the second time.
Investors in People is the UK’s leading people management business improvement standard. It is used by tens of thousands of organisations in more than 50 countries.
It enables organisations to benchmark themselves against some of the best employers in the world and only a small handful achieve the Gold Award.
“The National Assembly for Wales plays a key role in the lives of the people of Wales,” said Presiding Officer, Rosemary Butler AM.
“Whether it be scrutinising Welsh Government policy and proposed new laws or Assembly Members responding to the hopes and aspirations of their constituents, the work of this institution impacts on our schools and hospitals, our environment and the arts - on our daily lives in Wales.
“Assembly Members would be unable to carry out this important work unless there was a skilled and committed work force delivering first-class facilities and services. I see enthusiasm on a daily basis around the Assembly’s estate because we continuously invest in developing our staff and provide them with an environment within which they feel valued and are able to thrive.
“The Gold Standard award from Investors in People demonstrates that the National Assembly is delivering in terms of investing in its staff. That commitment will continue as we strive to improve on what are already excellent parliamentary services.”
The Investors in People report, which accompanies the award, said that the National Assembly’s key strengths included:
A highly inclusive approach to the development of plans;
accessible and highly visible senior management;
strong regime of appraisals and informal feedback discussions and meetings;
use of a wide range of training and development approaches;
strong culture of consultation;
good and improving communications;
and a strong sense of equality.
The National Assembly’s Chief Executive and Clerk of the Assembly, Claire Clancy said: “People in Wales expect a lot of the Assembly, and rightly so.
“Because of that, we expect a lot of the people who work here. They need to provide outstanding parliamentary support to the Assembly.
“That’s why reaching the highest possible standard of Investors in People – IiP Gold – is so important to us. I’m really proud that we have achieved IiP Gold for the second time, but I’m even more proud to see the results of that investment all around me in the work our staff do every day.
“It’s a real privilege to work with people who want to learn, want to develop, want to do the best possible job for the Assembly and for Wales, and who are such a great example of just what it means to be IiP Gold.”
The National Assembly has been named amongst FTSE 100 companies in the top-ten friendly places to work in the UK, has once again been ranked as one of the top employers for lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the UK, and has been awarded Living Wage status.
Furthermore, the Assembly is experiencing increased demand from worldwide delegations to look at five particular aspects of its work. The five areas are:
how we engage with Welsh citizens;
our e-democracy strategy;
how we operate fully bilingually;
how we scrutinise the government through our effective committee systems,
and our unique capacity-building programme of continuous professional development for Assembly Members.
Pictured from L-R with IiP certificate are Claire Clancy, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Assembly, and Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler AM