THE Isle of Man Constabulary has been awarded the Investors in People (IIP) Gold award.
It is the first policing body to gain the status from the IIP – a national standard which sets out a level of good practice for training and development of people to achieve business goals.
This follows a successful assessment in March, which came after three years’ work by the police.
Deputy Chief Constable Gary Roberts said: ‘The constabulary is only as good as its people. And I believe that this prestigious award shows that we are blessed with great people who are committed to keeping the Isle of Man as safe as it can be.
‘For some time now we have believed that the significant cultural changes that we have made in recent years have become embedded. This award confirms that view.’ He added: ‘The fact that we are the first policing body anywhere to win Investors in People gold status is something all of us here are proud of.’
The IIP process is conducted by an independent assessor who interviews people at all levels across the organisation against an extensive framework supporting a ‘Plan, Do, Review’ model.
The assessment tested evidence requirements across a broad spectrum. The constabulary achieved 177 against the required standard of 165. The report recommending the award recognised a range of measures, including all processes being driven around core values, the input staff have into processes and development, and the leadership provided.
The report stated: ‘Isle of Man Constabulary had a lucid set of values which were accepted by people and “lived by” when carrying out operational duties.’
It said there was ‘a highly developed sense of team where people worked together for a common goal’, and it said ‘several unsolicited comments were made about the effective leadership’ and that ‘people indicated they were inspirational, dynamic and very accessible’.
The report added that ‘clear linkages to a public safety focus ensured…overall performance improvement’.
Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson MHK said: ‘The island should be proud of its police force, who are committed not only to first class customer service and response to incidents around the island, but also developing our people and living up to the values that, as a community, we aspire to: dealing with the public, engaging with partners, community cohesion and through staff being highly motivated and committed to their roles.’