Southdown ranks alongside UK's most successful companies

Published by Joanna Fitzgerald-Gibson for Southdown Housing Association Ltd in Communities and also in Housing

Southdown has been named in the UK’s top ten employers for working families with some of the most successful companies in the country including KPMG, Deloitte, BT, Barclays and Citi.

The Top Employers for Working Families Benchmark and Awards, founded by Working Families in partnership with the Institute for Employment Studies, recognises employers who support parents, carers and flexible workers with work-life balance and career development.

Vikki Hayward-Cripps, Southdown’s Executive Director – Business, said:

“The assessment process examined what we do to promote flexible working practices, work-life balance and family-friendliness. We have worked hard to ensure this is locked-in to Southdown’s values and strategies. We want to go the extra mile in supporting our staff so they can manage their family or carer responsibilities alongside work, and can also develop their talents and careers with us.  

However, this is not just to be kind – flexible working for both men and women is a fundamental business tool! It helps us optimise resources, builds effective ways of working and builds resilience in our staff by reducing negative stress through good work-life balance. We want our staff to be the best they can be – at work and at home.

“We are a not-for-profit organisation but like to stretch ourselves by being measured against the best businesses in the UK. It is quite an achievement for us to rank alongside the likes of Barclays, KPMG and BT and shows how far we have come in our 40^th birthday year since 1972 when Southdown was founded with just a small group of volunteers. ”

Based in Lewes, Southdown provides housing, supported employment and specialist support services to over 8000 disabled and vulnerable people across Sussex and employs over 900 staff.

Sarah Jackson OBE, Chief Executive of Working Families, said:

“We congratulate the organisations who have gained a place on this year’s Top Employers for Working Families list.  These employers have demonstrated how they are developing innovative policies and practices to create flexible, family-friendly cultures that support individual wellbeing and high performance. ”