Housing Plus Group aims to make a positive difference to homes, lives and communities through engaged, passionate staff who feel supported in their roles.

The not-for-profit housing association – which owns 19,000 homes across Staffordshire and Shropshire and provides care services – has a team of around 950 staff working to ensure quality provision for customers.

And the Group wants quality for its staff too – a working environment that shows appreciation and encourages wellbeing and professional growth.

It prioritises listening to employees. Its HPG Voice Forum – headed by a paid elected Chair – has steered various changes, including sick pay arrangements and an additional day of leave for birthdays.

ET Connect is also a place for people to ask questions and make suggestions. The live forum connects the leadership team with remote and office-based colleagues to share business updates and showcase different areas of the Group.

And based on feedback, hybrid working has become the norm, there are new-look office spaces, and staff have a clearer idea of how their roles link to the HPG Vision by linking their personal objectives and performance to the corporate plan.

And saying 'thank you' for jobs well done and celebrating colleagues who live the Group's values has become easier and more popular.

Around one in 10 employees now choose to recognise colleagues group-wide via the improved 'Show Your Appreciation' function on the intranet. The chief executive publicly acknowledges these accolades, and staff who've been particularly outstanding receive a letter of thanks and £50 vouchers.