North Kesteven District Council steps into 2025 with renewal of its recognition as a top employer focused on supporting and developing its teams to ensure they are best-placed to deliver service excellence to customers and communities.
It has again been awarded the gold level through the Investors in People framework that for 30 years has encouraged and assessed organisations in putting people first – for the benefit of everyone in every workplace, increased productivity, and a stronger, healthier, and happier society.
North Kesteven’s double Investors in People gold accreditation recognises excellence in both people management and employee wellbeing.
Retiring Chief Executive Ian Fytche said this renewed assessment, building on an equally positive appraisal three years ago, was ‘a fabulous achievement, reflecting the amazing work that everyone on the team does to deliver high performing services and transformational projects’.
“The insights and ideas of our people shape the focus of the organisation, and the report tells us that we have a lot to be proud of,” he said.
Some of the headlines are:
- “Leadership is deemed to be highly effective”.
- “Your values very much shape the culture (of the Council) and drive everything you do”.
- “You have created an environment where people feel valued”.
- “Without exception, people are fully behind this vision (of A District of Flourishing Communities) and strive to deliver the best possible service”.
- “The vast majority of people believe NKDC is a great place to work”.
- “You have strengthened your performance management”.
- “You actively support people’s career and personal development”.
- “The biggest shift in this assessment was in the perception of the effectiveness in line-managers”.
In a note to the 400 colleagues operating and supporting the breadth of services delivered by North Kesteven District Council, before ending his near 20-year tenure as Chief Executive, Ian said: “It is great to see the focus within the report on the culture and values of the organisation.
“It has genuinely been a real pleasure to lead the organisation, and to work alongside a brilliant team who live the values every day. I have lost count of the number of people over the years who have told me of the way that members of the NK team have gone the extra mile to make a difference for them. It is what defines us, and it is the foundation upon which the organisation is built.”
“This is your achievement and I congratulate you on sustaining the gold accreditation.”
As new Chief Executive Kath Marriott takes the helm from February, Investors in People identifies opportunities for further enhancement, in nurturing cross-team connections and improving the working environment, to ensure the organisation has focused plans for continued achievement and improvement.
Investors in People highlights that investing in a workforce is not only the right thing to do but essential in delivering sustainable results, especially in a crisis; with organisations that lead, support and develop their workforce effectively being 17% more productive and 21% more profitable.