Investors in People Assessment

July 2003

Following a successful assessment we have been awarded the Investors in People Standard.
 
The assessment took place in school and involved a cross section of all staff which included teaching staff, support staff and Governors. About 12 staff were interviewed in all so as to achieve a balance in terms of level of responsibility and length of service.

Here is a brief summary of the areas that were highlighted as being strengths.

o A very inclusive culture
o A shared involvement in the life of the school and a feeling that all can actively contribute
o Clear vision and a shared focus
o Effective sharing of information
o Strong leadership

What is Investors in People?
Investors in People is the national Standard which sets out a level of good practice for training and development of people to achieve business goals. The Standard was developed during 1990 by the National Training Task Force in partnership with leading national businesses, personnel, professional and employee organisations such as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Institute of Personnel and Development (IPD). The work was supported by the Employment Department. The experiences of the UK's most successful organisations, large and small, representing all sectors of the UK economy, were very positive and the Standard received the full endorsement of wide range of interested parties.

The Standard provides a national framework for improving business performance and competitiveness, through a planned approach to setting and communicating business objectives and developing people to meet these objectives. The result is - what people can and are motivated to do matches what the organisation needs them to do. Investors in People is cyclical and should engender the culture of continuous improvement.

The Investors in People Standard is based on four key principles:

Commitment
Commitment to invest in people to achieve business goals

Planning
Planning how skills, individuals and teams are to be developed to achieve these goals

Action
Taking action to develop and use necessary skills in a well defined and continuing programme directly tied to business objectives

Evaluating
Evaluating outcomes of training and development for individuals' progress towards goals, the value achieved and future needs.
 
Achieving the Standard
• Being recognised as an "Investor in People" involves a number of steps:
• Understanding the Standard and it's strategic implications for your organisation
• Undertaking a review against the Standard to identify any gaps in current practice
• Making the commitment to meet the Standard and communicating that commitment to all members of staff
• Planning and taking action, to bring about change
• Bringing together the evidence for assessment against the Standard
• Achievement or recognition as an Investor in People