Wellbeing and Careers Hub > Wellbeing

Housing Association Secures Top National Award for Investing in its Workforce

Housing Association Secures Top National Award for Investing in its Workforce

A housing provider has been named one of the top performing companies in the country for investing in its workforce. Home Group, one of the largest providers of housing and integrated care in the UK, has claimed the 'We Invest in People' platinum accreditation, for supporting colleagues across the organisation – especially since the coronavirus outbreak.  

The award by Investors in People, a leading independent body championing staff wellbeing, represents the highest level of accreditation possible and is something only 3% of companies go on to achieve.

Susan Fulton, Director of People at Home Group, said: “This is a really important milestone for Home Group as it reflects the amazing work being done across all areas of the organisation.

“It combines our excellent customer satisfaction ratings, which are above the sector average, our continued and increasing investment in communities and our brilliant work to recruit more apprentices across all areas of Home Group.

“We’ve also been named in the top 10 best UK workplaces and workplaces for women, and the fourth best place to work in the North East. Add to this our top 20 Stonewall Index placing and it certainly shows we’re heading in the right direction.

“The wellbeing of colleagues has been an integral part of our work since Covid-19. Early on we made the decision that those who could work from home, should, and have always ensured we provided a safe working environment for our frontline colleagues too. 

“As well as ensuring everyone had the right kit, there have been weekly updates from the Chief Executive – both in emails and through video – to help everyone feel informed and work effectively and safely.”

Shelly Harrison, a Management Accountant at Home Group, home-schooled her children throughout lockdown. She believes the flexibility on offer at Home Group has been a lifesaver for her family.  

“Home-schooling two kids and doing a full-time job is challenging, but the flexibility lets me spend much needed time with them doing schoolwork and online classes,” said Shelley. 

“The little touches are always nice, from the extra time off to the most recent team picnic. It is so unusual for a business to do this and shows how much we are valued.”

Platinum accreditation signifies that policies and practices around supporting people are embedded in every corner of the organisation, meaning all colleagues know they have a part to play in helping Home Group succeed.

Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate Home Group. Platinum accreditation on We invest in people is a remarkable effort for any organisation and places Home Group in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.”

Home Group is one of the UK’s largest providers of housing, health and care. Their 2,600 colleagues support over 125,000 customers across 55,000 properties in England and Scotland, which includes around 26,000 people with mental and physical health issues.

Find out more about Home Group here.

If you have any thoughts, experiences, news or advice on workplace wellbeing that you would like to share, please see our submission page for more information.