Oakland Care Named as a UK Employer of The Year at Coveted Awards
Oakland Care have been recognised for their industry-leading approach as an employer after being named Employer of The Year in the Gold category at the Investors in People Awards.
The Investors in People Awards are annual business and HR awards that celebrate the very best in people management, wellbeing, apprenticeships, and individual success. Now in its 10th year, the ceremony is well-recognised for its high-level accreditation and recently retained its ‘Outstanding’ status from The Independent Awards Standards Council.
Oakland Care were crowned esteemed UK Employer of the Year in the Gold category for organisations with 250+ employees at the Old Billingsgate, London, on 14th November.
Oakland Care’s philosophy is based on the values of Live, Love and Be Loved. This guides their approach as an employer, with an aim to treat residents and their colleagues as the individuals they are, and to do everything they can to nurture and celebrate them as part of their family.
A key part of their efforts is through a sustained commitment to internal growth and support. Oakland Care are dedicated to investing within their nine care home teams, and actively promote career and development opportunities that allow team members to achieve their potential. This includes their Assistant Practitioner Development Programme which supports the development of Senior Care Assistants across the provider, Inhouse Leadership Development Programme, and numerous accredited learning courses.
This is delivered in an open and inclusive environment that is underpinned by policies and approaches that support wellbeing. For example, the use of different channels of communications, such as a mobile app for board to floor instant messaging, HR Coffee 2 of 2 Chats, a newsletter, face to face, virtual team meetings and employee surveys, the presence of Mental Health Wellbeing Champions in their care homes, and regular internal award recognition.
Joanne Balmer BEM, Chief Operating Officer of Oakland Care, said: “We were delighted to be named UK Employer of the Year at the Investors in People Awards. This is a huge achievement, and I am extremely proud of the efforts of everybody at Oakland Care.
“We have developed a thriving work structure and support system that allows our people to flourish and achieve their goals. Across all our care homes, we work hard to cultivate an inclusive and open environment for our team members that creates opportunities for them to succeed in their careers.”
Paul Devoy, CEO at Investors in People, said: “I’d like to congratulate all the winners and shortlisted finalists from the Investors in People Awards 2023. The winners on the night showcased the gold standard in people management and have produced fantastic work across the board. I have no doubt that the recognition from the evening, will continue to inspire employers and employees alike, as we all work to ‘Make Work Better’ globally.”