Avon and Somerset Constabulary has achieved the prestigious Investors in People standard force-wide.

It is also the largest police force in the country to have achieved the award using the ‘building block’ approach.

This ‘building block’ approach has meant that the six operational Districts within the Constabulary and some fourteen departments have taken responsibility for achieving IiP accreditation before the Constabulary sought corporate accreditation.

This is a nationally recognised business improvement tool which provides an effective framework for improving organisational performance through the management and development of people.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary began its Investors in People journey in 2001. That was when John Harding, Head of Human Resource Planning, accepted responsibility for co-ordinating the activities required to achieve the standard.

Working with Brian Cottle, the force’s IiP Adviser, a successful pilot exercise involving Communications, Personnel and Training and Criminal Justice led to a decision to adopt a building block approach to accreditation.

Communications was the first department to undergo a thorough "health-check", which involved discussions with staff. This resulted in an action plan aimed at achieving the standard. Accreditation was successfully achieved in December 2002.

Since then a similar process has been followed with all departments and districts and all achieved accreditation in their own right by January 2006.

The final stage of the journey was to achieve force-wide accreditation.

This involved interviews with staff at all levels and the force demonstrating that the standard has been maintained in the departments/districts previously accredited.

The assessment also involved a review of the force’s strategic plan, mission/vision, broad aims and objectives and whether our strategies are applied consistently.

John Harding said: "The Constabulary’s achievement of the Investors in People standard is recognition of the tremendous effort and commitment put in by managers and staff at all levels throughout the organisation."