Westbury has announced that is has achieved an Investors in People Gold Award, improving on the Silver Award it has held since 2009. The company manufactures timber and glazed extensions through its Westbury Garden Rooms brand, and windows and doors via its Westbury Windows & Joinery business. The company claims to have ‘long-established’ roots in Essex with a showroom and factory based in South Woodham Ferrers near Chelmsford.
Founder of Westbury Garden Rooms, Jonathan Hey, commented: “This is a very proud moment for me personally and for us as a company. We strongly believe that our people define who we are and what we do, and we are dedicated to developing their unique skills and ensuring that every employee feels valued and cared for.”
Investors in People is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving people’s working lives. The organisation operates globally alongside businesses in a wide range of sectors, reviewing their processes and making sure that they demonstrate modern workplace practices and that they go above and beyond their duty of care for all of their staff.
Since its first Investors in People assessment 12 years ago and the most recent review in 2016, Westbury says that it has rolled out a number of effective changes using the feedback to implement new practices that establish positive working principles across the organisation.
Between May and June 2019, Westbury says that it underwent a thorough assessment which involved an anonymous online survey completed by all employees; face-to-face interviews with selected employees, and the company as a whole was observed to determine how teams interact with each other.
According to this year’s assessment, it was noted that references to individual contributions are frequently made, helping staff to see the difference they are making and the potential that they have.
Hey concluded: “Ultimately, our success is owed to the way we design and build exceptional products of high quality, and we can’t do this without our teams of experts working together effectively to meet our goals. We want to attract talented people and what’s more, we want them to stay. Understanding everyone’s needs and creating an excellent working environment for them is essential to a trusting, reliable culture.
“Our Gold Award proves that our employees believe in our values and are invested in the company’s success, resulting in teams that work hard, trust each other and individuals who take responsibility for their own important roles.
“We’re absolutely thrilled but we’re not going to rest on our laurels. We’ve already set our sights on the ultimate level – the Platinum Award – for the near future.”
