Press Releases

University comes up with right facilities to get most out of staff – University of Reading

Release Date : 09 December 2009

The University of Reading Facilities Management Directorate has successfully gained corporate status as an Investor in People.

Facilities Management, which employs about one quarter of the staff in the University, has over a period of three years gained Investors in People (IiP) accreditation across the 12 separate departments of the Directorate, from catering and halls to project management and maintenance.

In order to achieve accreditation each department had to prove that they are planning their business well, communicating and involving their staff in daily work decisions, as well as encouraging individuals to develop in their roles. 

Colin Robbins, Director of Facilities Management, said: "This achievement is a huge credit to the whole team. Not only have staff benefited from the development of individuals and through improved management procedures but the Directorate has also become both more efficient and more effective through a greater sense of involvement by all staff in both the process and the delivery of service".

The IiP assessor said: "I spoke to a number of senior managers and what came through very clearly was their commitment to establish a culture where everyone, irrespective of their role or employment status is encouraged to come forward with ideas to establish an ethos of continuous improvement."

The University Library also achieved IiP accreditation in 2003 and these two important parts of the University now join some of the UK's largest companies - including BUPA, MacDonald's and Yell - in having reached the high standards demanded by IiP. The Investors in People Standard is acknowledged as a business improvement tool, helping organisations of every size, type and location to gain more from their people in support of business goals.

Ends

For all University of Reading media enquiries please contact James Barr, Press Officer tel. 0118 378 7115 or email j.w.barr@reading.ac.uk