Who we are and
how we do things
Our people
Our People Strategy sets out how we will achieve our shared outcomes by having people with the right skills, values and behaviours, and by working in partnership in our places.
Our People Strategy has our values and behaviours at its heart. The Strategy has four outcomes, supported by our People Pledge and a programme of work that supports working towards achieving the outcomes for all our staff. These outcomes are:
- healthy and well
- inclusive employer of choice
- effective and compassionate leadership
- skilled, flexible and engaged
We want healthy, motivated and flexible staff with the right skills, values and behaviours to work in partnership with people and places.
Our six behaviours are:
- supportive
- communicate
- respectful
- flexible
- positive
- honest
Our values
Just like individuals, our organisation's values guide the way we think and act, and our behaviours underpin our values and set out how we act upon them. These are the foundations for our People Strategy, which sets out how we will achieve our shared outcomes by having people with the right skills, values and behaviours.
Kindness
- We are kind so that our behaviour makes each other feel included, happy and well.
- We work with each other and are friendly, considerate and appreciative.
- We 'do with, not to', showing kindness to each other and to our citizens.
Inclusion
- We recognise the unique identities of our local places, their strengths and aspirations. We know that one size doesn't fit all.
- We want to enable active citizens to make a difference, recognising their valuable skills, strengths and local knowledge, as well as delivering support and services that are shaped by local people.
Pride
- We work with pride to achieve positive outcomes for colleagues, citizens and our places.
- We have self-respect, dignity and take satisfaction from our achievements and those of our colleagues.
- We are proud of what we do as individuals, together as a council, and together with our citizens and places.
Who we work with
We use the phrase 'We're Kirklees' within our staff teams to reflect our pride in Kirklees and our commitment to working together for all our places. 'People', 'partners', and 'place' are three principles that cut across everything we do.
Shared customer and resident expectations
Over the course of the coming year we will be continuing an important piece of work related to customer and resident expectations. This relates to all of our services.
Not all customers and residents have the same expectations of the council, and so it is impossible to provide everything that people expect of us. Furthermore, we don't always have the powers and resources people think we have. This is made even harder at a time of severe budget cuts.
Our aim is to create a mutual understanding between the council and the residents. We recognise that residents see the council as a unified entity and expect seamless service without being shuffled between teams. Our commitment lies in delivering excellent services while also ensuring that residents understand that some issues are inherently complex and require time to resolve.
In essence, we are committing to open and honest communication with our residents, setting realistic expectations, and collaborating to achieve the best possible outcomes. This approach helps build trust, manage expectations effectively, and ensures that our residents feel valued and informed about the services they receive.
