Wheatley retains top people award

Scotland's leading housing and property-management group achieved the prestigious award following a rigorous assessment of how it supports, develops and engages its people.

IiP, one of the UK’s leading workplace accreditation programmes, interviewed colleagues from across Wheatley and reviewed the organisation’s approach to leadership, wellbeing, learning and development.

The assessment praised Wheatley’s strong culture of trust, empowerment and shared purpose. Assessors described retaining Platinum status while continuing to improve as "exceptional".

The report concluded that "Wheatley has created a culture that is influencing not only the housing sector but the communities it serves every day, ultimately making Wheatley one of Scotland’s leading people organisations."

The report said Wheatley is "an organisation where people are not simply employed to deliver services; they are trusted to improve lives".

IiP highlighted Wheatley’s Think Yes culture as the organisation’s defining strength, recognising the trust placed in colleagues to do the right thing for customers. The assessment found colleagues across the organisation feel empowered to lead, influence decisions and improve outcomes, while the consistency of Wheatley's values-driven culture across more than 2400 colleagues was described as "difficult for others to replicate".

The assessment also recognised Wheatley's visible leadership and commitment to helping colleagues learn, develop and succeed. Assessors praised leaders for being approachable, listening to colleagues, communicating openly and creating the conditions for people to thrive.

Wheatley Chief Executive Steven Henderson said: "We're delighted to have retained Investors in People Platinum accreditation.

"This recognition reflects the hard work, dedication and commitment of colleagues across Wheatley. Every day, they go above and beyond to support tenants, factored homeowners and the people we work for through our care services.

"We're proud of the culture we’ve built at Wheatley, where people are trusted, supported and empowered to make decisions, develop their skills and deliver outstanding services.

"Retaining Platinum status is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates our continued commitment to creating a positive, supportive workplace where our people can thrive and deliver excellent services."

Wheatley includes four Registered Social Landlords, one of the country's biggest property managers, a business-support subsidiary and a charitable foundation. It is also joint owner of the country's largest repairs and maintenance company, City Building (Glasgow).