"Invest in securing and keeping the best talent"
The success of English Rural’s strategic ambitions is intrinsically linked to the performance and skills of our staff. As a reputed good employer, we take pride in attracting and retaining high-calibre staff who embody our values and mission. However, the pace of growth and change over the past year had notably strained our team.
Recognising the importance of supporting our staff, we conducted a comprehensive staff capacity review that affected all areas of the business. A key aspect of this review involved updating job descriptions to identify where new staff recruitment was necessary. The outcome prompted several structural and systems changes, and we successfully recruited new staff members for each business area, particularly boosting our resident services team.
Our IT strategy has delivered transformative changes, including the migration to cloud-based solutions, the introduction of Teams Telephony, and the appointment of a new IT service provider. These changes have consolidated our IT operations under a single system, enhancing efficiency. Simultaneously, we conducted staff training to ensure everyone can utilise these new tools effectively.
We have also emphasised staff wellbeing, promoting external services beneficial to our team and training several mental health first-aiders within the organisation.
While we maintain a robust track record for staff retention, some staff turnover is inevitable. We welcomed Eddie Smy as our new Finance Director, following the retirement of the previous director. His competence and experience will bolster our financial planning capabilities.
In response to the shift towards hybrid work arrangements, we reviewed our office spaces, recognising that our London office was larger than required. We subsequently secured a new serviced office in central London, greatly reducing costs while providing our team with formal meeting rooms and access to co-working spaces across the city.
In line with our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), we participated in Race Equality Week, during which our Chief Executive further pledged to maintain a zero-tolerance policy for racism and microaggressions within the workplace. Our ongoing EDI action plan continues to evolve, with recent developments including training on Deaf Awareness for our staff.
Our team's collective skills and passion for our mission are one of our greatest assets. Recognising this, we're committed to continuously assessing and investing in staff capabilities. The recruitment of new members across various areas is testament to our commitment to ensure the continued delivery of our services.
“To provide and manage affordable housing for local communities in rural villages across England, and to champion the cause of affordable rural housing.”
Throughout the strategy period we will grow by building more well-designed and environmentally responsible homes that help communities and the lives of those who live in them thrive. We will invest in improving the quality of homes that we already own, listening to residents and enhancing the level of services provided to them. English Rural will look to support the development of others and, where opportunities emerge, grow through mutually beneficial partnerships with other smaller rural housing associations.
The organisation recognises the value of its culture, brand and reputation and will ensure this remains a priority as it evolves.
Our purpose and vision are firmly grounded in our five core values, collaboratively shaped and endorsed by our entire team >>
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Conducted a comprehensive staff capacity review that impacted all business areas.
New Finance Director recruited
Successfully executed our transformative IT Strategy.
Continued progress in implementing our EDI work plan.
Our Development Director, Richard DeVille, shares a conversation with the CLA's Avril Roberts at a recent scheme opening in Kent.
>> The closure of our London office and the shift to more flexible working arrangements highlighted the importance of in-person interactions for supporting staff learning and wellness. Designing these interactions into our work practices is an ongoing task for our managers. The assessment of internal communications effectiveness, team collaboration, and potential improvements to one-to-one interactions and appraisals will also be a focus in the coming year.
>> As our IT strategy continues to evolve, we recognise the importance of pacing changes and providing external support to supplement our team’s skills, particularly as we plan further changes to key business software.
>> Progress with our EDI aims has been slower than anticipated due to capacity limitations and inherent challenges facing smaller organisations like ours. However, we remain committed to placing greater emphasis on this important work in the upcoming year.
