Orwell Housing Association is delighted to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious Platinum Accreditation from Best Employers Eastern Region, at the first attempt. This recognition shows the organisation’s commitment to providing an exceptional workplace for its colleagues.

Best Employers Eastern Region, a partnership between Pure Resourcing Solutions and ERAS, assess workplace culture and satisfaction and by achieving a Platinum Accreditation, the highest accreditation available, Orwell demonstrates its dedication to providing a positive and engaging work environment. This accolade reflects Orwell’s tireless efforts to create an atmosphere where colleagues can thrive, develop, and be their authentic selves. It acknowledges the Orwell’s outstanding performance in areas such as leadership, well-being, employee engagement, and organisational culture.

CEO of Orwell Housing Association, Wendy Evans-Hendrick, expressed her thanks to everyone in team Orwell:

“Receiving the Platinum Accreditation from Best Employers Eastern Region is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone who makes up team Orwell. We have always believed that people are at the heart of everything we achieve or do, and this recognition reinforces our commitment to providing a workplace where they can thrive.”

“We took part in Best Employers because we wanted to learn more about our colleagues and how they felt about working at Orwell. It also gave us the opportunity to benchmark ourselves against other companies in the region. As a not-for-profit organisation, competing for talent is challenging, so this was a great opportunity for us to raise our profile as a great local employer. We can show current and prospective employees that we care. We will continue to review the feedback we have received from our team and continue to work to be the very best employer we can be.”

The judges who considered Orwell’s application were particularly impressed by the multi-faceted approach to reward, which they acknowledged could be challenging in the not-for-profit sector. They also said they found strong evidence of diversity and inclusion being high on the Orwell’s agenda with knowledge cafes providing wide-ranging information and support including around neurodiversity and menopause issues, and leaders being actively supported and developed to ensure they have the confidence to lead in ever-changing circumstances. 

Best Employers Eastern Region conducts surveys and evaluations to assess the workplace culture, leadership, and employee engagement within organisations across the eastern region.

Orwell Housing Association remains dedicated to its mission of providing quality housing and exceptional care and support services to those in need while also recognising the importance of a strong, supportive, and engaging work environment.