Salford social work team ‘delighted’ after silver accreditation despite pandemic troubles

A Salford social work team are ‘delighted’ after being awarded a silver accreditation for wellbeing and development improvements since the pandemic.

Local health and social care charity, Gaddum’s, Salford branch have been celebrating the news since Investors in People (IiP) completed a two-day inspection.

The charity, which provides support for unwaged carers of all ages in Salford, as well as for parents and families of children with complex health and care needs, achieved a bronze award in their first IiP inspection in 2019.

Led by deputy chief executive, Ben Whalley, the charity has made significant leaps forward in the nine indicators required to achieve the nationally recognised Investors in People award.

These nine indicators focus on key areas including personal and professional growth, recruitment policies, development opportunities and, particularly important during turbulent times, staff wellbeing.

Lauren Edwards, Gaddum’s assistant head of operations who heads up the Salford team of carers, said: “Along with our colleagues across Greater Manchester, we are absolutely delighted to receive this strong Silver accreditation and recognition from Investors in People, particularly as it was achieved through such a turbulent time while we were dealing with the impact of the pandemic.”

Investors in People awarded Gaddum a score of 767 out of 900, 5.4% higher than the average IiP score – including with large corporates.  Compared with “like for like” organisations, Gaddum scored 2.7% higher than the average charity score.

Ben Whalley, deputy chief executive of Gaddum, added: “Our staff are our strongest asset in delivering on the commitment we have made to people across Greater Manchester and we will absolutely use this platform to improve and aim for Gold – not because of the colour, but because it really signifies how much we care about our workforce.

“Over the last three years, we have been working really hard to provide better support to every member of the Gaddum team and ensuring that our working culture is up there with the best. That’s why we are particularly proud that Investors in People highlighted that we are living our values and linking them to actual behaviours.

“Over 50k organisations have been assessed for IiP since 1991 and so, for a small charity, Gaddum has done amazingly well, especially when you consider the unprecedented time we’ve been through and in comparison to big companies with big budgets going through the IiP process.”