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:
Healthy environment
Thriving communities
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.