Investors in People gold status for Les Amis

Monday 24 July 2023

Les Amis has received an Investors in People award, becoming the only charity in Jersey to achieve gold status from IIP.

The accreditation is seen as a standard for people management and is recognised in 66 countries worldwide. It assesses organisations on their workplace culture including employee engagement, communication and work practices.

The IIP accreditation is assessed every three years. Before achieving gold, Les Amis had held silver status, which it had achieved in 2017 and kept despite the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the care sector. The charity is now one of only two organisations in Jersey with gold status.

"Service and people are at the very heart of our organisation, hence investing in our people is a top priority for Les Amis," said Denise Barham, the charity's
head of human resources.

"Our ethos is about creating a friendly and supportive environment for our staff – one that provides them with a sense of making a real difference to the lives of learning-disabled Islanders. We are a community as well as an employer and service provider."

The charity's Managing Director, Shaun Findlay, has been with Les Amis for over 15 years and said: "Over the years, we have built up a reputation for
being a supportive employer.

"We are now an organisation of 150 people, and 41% have been with us for five years or more. An incredible 21% have worked at Les Amis between ten to 20 years. Staff longevity certainly supports a sense of team stability, which for the residents and families whom we support translates to the continuity of care that they've come to value and rely on from Les Amis."

David Dale, an international specialist consultant at IIP, said: "Investors in People have assessed over 50,000 organisations over the course of 30 years or so, and currently only 17% of those that have taken part in the accreditation process have achieved gold, so it is fantastic for a Jersey charity like Les Amis to be recognised in this way."