Investors in People: Gold and Silver for our investment in our people and their wellbeing!

At South Wales Fire and Rescue Service we have retained our Investors in People (IiP) accreditation and have also achieved a new award focusing on our staff’s wellbeing. The Service has received a Gold People Award and a Silver Wellbeing Award which praised our supportive culture, passion to improve and develop, our focus on wellbeing and our commitment to protecting the communities of South Wales.  The People Award specifically highlighted the significant progress we have made in the last three years, with a focus on people, the environment, capabilities to respond to incidents and a widening of expectations on the Service.

Chief Fire Officer Huw Jakeway QFSM said: ‘This is a fantastic achievement for us and I am incredibly proud. We participate in the IiP programme, because it casts an independent eye across our organisation providing an insight into our working practices and culture. The Service’s decision to take part in IiP outlines our commitment to leading, improving and supporting our staff. The IiP analysis highlighted we’ve made big steps forward, but there’s always more to learn, and we continue to ask for feedback, innovation and honesty from our staff, in order to drive continuous improvement. IiP interviews and survey feedback from our staff reviewed evidence around criteria such as leadership, communication and wellbeing – thank you to those who took part, the process was confidential and had an emphasis on honesty. Together, we can shape our future and continue to deliver an exceptional service right across our communities.’

The unprecedented times we are living in have highlighted, more than ever before, the need for creating an environment that not only protects our staff but promotes every facet of wellbeing. The investment in the wellbeing accreditation, which is the first time we have been assessed under this award, helps the Service to do just that by identifying our strengths as well as areas for improvement. The report outlines where we are on our route to fostering a culture that prioritises wellbeing.

Investors in People CEO, Paul Devoy said: ‘I am delighted to congratulate South Wales Fire and Rescue Service on their recent amazing achievements; not only have they attained Gold level Investors in People accreditation, but they are also the first client in Wales to undertake our new Wellbeing assessment. In this, to achieve Silver level accreditation, is a fantastic endorsement of the organisation’s commitment to the physical, psychological and social wellbeing of all colleagues.’

IiP Assessor Jackie Lewis said: ‘People genuinely believe SWFRS is a great place to work and the passion and commitment demonstrated by the vast majority of your people is outstanding. It is rare that you find an organisation where people believe they make a difference in their own communities and some of the examples of stations and teams going above and beyond in the support of those communities and people who need support is something you should be proud of.”

For further information and to explore the opportunities available to join us, head over to the Service’s website.