Scottish Borders Housing Association’s (SBHA) commitment to people development has been recognised with a Silver accreditation award from Investors in People.

The Borders’ largest housing association gained the award due to its regular briefings, clear objectives and defined paths of development.

CEO Julia Mulloy said:“We are delighted to have achieved Investors in People Silver accreditation, building on our original accreditation in 2015. We particularly welcome the positive feedback on our investment in learning and development, appraisal and communication and the positive impact of our Borders Without Barriers programme – which is transforming our services to customers.

“At the heart of this is the Community model – Neighbourhood Teams with devolved budgets and the flexibility to respond to local needs and circumstances.

“We would like to thank all Team members, whose hard work and dedication have been absolutely central to this great achievement.”

The review was carried out by Tom Hutchison, an independent assessor from Investors in People, who interviewed a number of SBHA employees to gauge their opinions on SBHA as a place to work, from opportunities for development to pay and benefits.

The assessor commented on SBHA’s positive focus on learning and development and objective setting, and noted that all the people interviewed had a clear idea of how their own work and team objectives contributed to the overall success of the organisation.

The review report also highlighted positive developments in staff communications, as well as greater focus on motivating teams to produce the best results. In addition, working groups such as the Healthy Working Lives Group, whose remit is to encourage colleagues to adopt healthier lifestyles, are ensuring that people feel more involved in decision making and in helping to drive change.

Mr Hutchison also praised SBHA’s commitment to social responsibility, citing services such as welfare and benefits advice, and projects such as Transitions, which provides support to young people leaving care for independent living for the first time.

Peter Russian, chief executive of Remarkable, the organisation licensed to deliver Investors in People in Scotland, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Scottish Borders Housing Association. Investors in People recognises organisations who are truly committed to their people, continuous improvement and customer service. We have supported SBHA since 2013 and we’re delighted to see their ongoing dedication recognised with this Silver award. Many congratulations.”