Our people
At the heart of our organisation are our people. Our strong team of people have shared values, a wide range of skills and life experiences, and a commitment to the work we do. We work together in a positive and collaborative way to deliver the best service we can across all areas of our work.
With continuing increases in the number of complaints coming to us and the need to manage other key aspects of our work effectively, we continued to grow our organisation. In our recruitment we maintained a strong focus on skills. Our recruitment system uses anonymised applications and predictive, skill-based assessments to identify the best candidates for a role, while minimising the risk of unconscious bias.
“Although it took time, it was actually fun to do this application! Such a welcome change to the standard ‘here are ten criteria, show how you meet each one’.”
“As well as feeling that you are engaging in a fair and balanced process, it also gives a sense of what the hiring manager is looking for in a candidate and the community and ethos of the company.”
“Looks like you are a fair employer and would love to get an interview even if it may not work out as I would love to work in an org like this.”
Employee Engagement Survey
In August 2024, we ran our Employee Engagement Survey. We conduct this survey periodically and it is conducted anonymously on our behalf by the Institute of Employment Studies (IES). We are always keen to hear our staffs’ views and perspectives, and we were pleased that 96% of colleagues shared their thoughts and suggestions. The views expressed in the survey will feed into our approach as an employer and will help us to shape what we do across the whole organisation. The timing of this survey was particularly helpful given our strategic review work.
We were delighted with the outstanding set of survey results and IES specifically noted our high engagement score of 4.01 out of 5, not achieved by many organisations, in their experience. This score is particularly meaningful given 96% of our people responded and scored the many attitude statements including submitting free text responses. This year’s engagement score is our second highest score over the years, only 0.04 lower than in 2020.
Diversity survey
As part of our commitment to being an inclusive organisation and to further strengthen diversity within our organisation, we conducted an anonymous diversity survey which had a 90% response rate. This was to give us a clearer understanding of the diversity we have and to enable us to monitor our progress in strengthening our diversity. We use the diversity information available from our recruitment platform to gain insight to decide where we may need to position our approach differently. The findings are informing our development work for 2025.
Staff representation
Our Staff Liaison Committee (SLC) again met regularly through the year. It continues to be a valuable forum for listening to and sharing information with team representatives.
We were pleased to reach a formal voluntary recognition agreement with GMB Trade Union, effective from 1 September 2024. We are confident this will be a beneficial development and contribute to continuing positive dialogue with our people. Following a nominations process, two OIA colleagues were appointed as GMB representatives to act on behalf of and support colleagues who are members, providing representation to OIA management on key issues and to nominated team members in the SLC.
We will be working with both our SLC and GMB to develop an improved dialogue, involvement and employee engagement as part of our organisational development priority in our wider strategic plan.
“Going to university was completely transformative for me, as it is for so many others, so I wanted to be part of an organisation that helps protect students whilst they’re studying and promotes good practice and learning in the sector. I like having the ability to manage my own time and see something all the way through – I get a sense of accomplishment from completing a case. There’s something really satisfying about unpicking a complex case to come to a decision. And colleagues are always happy to share their wisdom. The depth and breadth of knowledge here is amazing.”
Jenny, Senior Assistant Adjudicator
“As a Technical Support Analyst, I have the privilege to assist my colleagues with any tech-related queries, allowing them to continue providing the best level of service to those who contact our organisation. It’s a varied role and I get an insight into the exceptional support that the different teams consistently provide to our service users - sometimes in high-pressure situations. My peers at the OIA make my role easier by being patient and understanding, and they always take the time to explain parts of the process that I am unfamiliar with so we can work collaboratively to achieve the best possible outcome.”
Imi, Technical Support Analyst
“I joined the OIA in 2012 and gained extensive casework experience as a case- handler before moving into my current Case Coordinator role, in which I look after cases from vulnerable students and complaints involving sensitive circumstances. The most rewarding part of my role is helping students that are in difficult situations access our Scheme. I believe strongly in the benefits of using kindness in everything we do, and I work hard to do that in my role.”
Jim, Case Coordinator
The Rebecca Marsland Award
The Rebecca Marsland Award was created in 2019 in memory of our friend and colleague who sadly passed away. It is awarded each year as a celebration of an outstanding contribution to our work, an exceptional personal achievement or an act of kindness. We invite colleagues to make nominations and our Chief Executive and our Independent Adjudicator, together with a previous year’s winner of the award, decide on a worthy winner. This year, the award was given to Lucy, a Senior Case-handler in our Assessment and Resolution Team, who received nominations from colleagues across several teams. Lucy cares deeply about the work she does and the students whose cases she handles. Colleagues across the organisation were keen to recognise Lucy for the thoughtful and considered advice she shares with them and her willingness to take on additional and challenging work. She is described as an excellent colleague who makes an outstanding contribution to casework and the organisation.