Team Reading People Strategy

The Council’s vision is to help Reading realise its potential – and to ensure that everyone who lives and works here can share the benefits of its success.

Our priorities

Our Corporate Plan focuses on three inter-connected themes:

1. Healthy environment
2. Thriving communities
3. Inclusive economy

Our values

The TEAM Reading values underpin the way we work day-to-day, and the major initiatives that are the foundation for modern, cost effective services that will improve the lives of local people, as set out in our three themes:

T   We will work Together

• We will work as one organisation, collaborate and support each other
• We will demonstrate the Team Reading leadership behaviours and the Nolan principles
• We will value equality, diversity and inclusion
• We will recognise and celebrate the hard work and successes of our colleagues

E   We will drive Efficiency

• We will look at best practice and ensure we deliver quality services and value for money
• The Corporate Transformation Programme will modernise the way we work to ensure we meet the changing expectations of our customers

A   We will be Ambitious

• We will look at best practice and ensure we deliver quality services and value for money
• Our People Strategy will help us to recruit, retain and engage staff
• We will transform our services to make them fit for the future
• We will be proud to enter and win awards for the great work we do

M   We will Make a Difference

• We will measure our performance against our priorities
• We will set stretching targets for improvement
• More customers will tell us they are very satisfied with our services

Our People Strategy Aims

Our staff are central to achieving our vision.  Success will depend on an organisational culture that puts customers at the heart of everything we do.  We will celebrate high performance, empower and enable people, and create an environment that promotes diversity and inclusion, continual improvement and greater collaboration across the Council. 

The Team Reading People Strategy sets out how we aim to achieve this and create an organisation that provides excellent services to Reading. 

Expectations on our staff and managers

We have set out the behaviours and attitudes that we value from our staff and managers, which support the delivery of our vision, priorities and Team Reading values.  These define ‘how’ we are expected to approach our work and sit alongside ‘what’ we do, as outlined in each of our job descriptions.

The Council’s leaders and managers will:

• Work Together as one team
  champion and inspire a culture which ensures that all employees across the organisation work together to provide excellent outcomes for Reading

• Drive Efficiency
  create an environment in which resources are used efficiently and employees’ skills are developed and used effectively

• Be Ambitious
  aspire to deliver excellence and inspire and support others to reach their potential 

• Make a Difference to Reading
  inspire a culture in which the customer is the focus and where change is welcomed as an opportunity See the Team Reading Leadership Behaviour Framework for more detail

The Council expects its staff to:

• Work Together as one team
  work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

• Drive Efficiency
  show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

• Be Ambitious
  be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

• Make a Difference to Reading
  maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Our People Strategy priorities

To achieve the aims of the People Strategy we will focus on four priority areas:

Attract

We will plan for our future workforce requirements and position ourselves as an employer of choice, so that we attract, recruit and retain the best staff who share our values and desire to make a difference to Reading.

Engage

We will ensure that our people understand our key priorities and where they fit. We will also provide opportunities for staff to help shape and influence our direction through effective engagement and dialogue. We will nurture our staff’s wellbeing, value diversity and inclusion, and provide a safe and healthy work environment.

Develop

We will develop the skills, knowledge, competencies and talent of our people so that they fulfil their full potential and make a maximum contribution. We will enhance the quality, skills and styles of leadership, encouraging ambition, inclusivity and collaboration.

Recognition and reward

We will recognise staff who demonstrate our Team Reading values and we will celebrate success.  We will provide pay and reward systems which help to position the Council as an attractive, inclusive and competitive employer of choice.

Communication and engagement and IT and digital are cross-cutting themes that underpin the programme. 

Delivery Programme

A Delivery Programme has been developed which sets out what action we will take within our four priority areas. The Delivery Programme will be updated quarterly.

The Team Reading Programme Board has been established to oversee and monitor progress towards achieving the People Strategy and the Delivery Programme.  It is chaired by the Executive Director of Resources and includes representatives from across the Council, together with trade unions.

Measuring success

• We will attract and retain the very best people who share our Team Reading values and desire to put customers at the heart of everything we do.
• Our staff will provide efficient, trusted and user-friendly services to the customers and residents of Reading Borough Council
• Excellent leadership will be demonstrated
• Our staff will be high performing and highly skilled
• Our staff will feel valued and motivated
• We will demonstrate our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion by striving to ensure that our workforce is representative of the communities we serve.

To measure success, we will provide regular updates to the Team Reading Programme Board on the following performance indicators:

• Increased customer satisfaction with Council services measured through residents’ surveys
• Increased success in recruiting the best talent, with more successful recruitment on the first attempt and reduced time to recruit
• Reduced employee turnover, especially in the first year of employment through appointing people who share our vision and values
• Increased employee satisfaction measured through staff engagement surveys and ‘temperature checks’
• Reduced short term sickness absence as employee morale and engagement increases
• Reduced long term absence as an indicator of good employee health and wellbeing
• Our workforce will be representative of the communities we serve, measured across all protected characteristic groups.